Blast from the Past
by Storywriter55
Summary: Life in the Ellis-Caffrey household is disrupted by someone from Sara's past. Part of the 'Milestones' series, timestamped with Hope's age (7.7 years)
1. Chapter 1

**Blast from the Past**

Chapter 1

7.7 years

'Happy birthday, Repo' said Neal, smiling and producing a small box out of nowhere. His years as a conman had enabled him to fine tune some pretty amazing sleight of hand and he'd never lost that talent over the years.

Sara looked into his eyes with curiosity, smiling as she took the beautifully gift wrapped box (definitely not Neal's handiwork) from his outstretched hand and carefully began to unwrap it. Neal was a master at choosing thoughtful gifts for every occasion and after years of trying to rise to his high standards, Sara had decided it just wasn't worth the aggravation; he would always do the gift giving thing better than she would, no matter what. Her only saving grace was her far superior talent for wrapping gifts – it seemed that for all his flair, Neal was all thumbs when it came to gift wrapping.

She glanced inside the box, rolling her eyes as she spied what was inside.

'Oh, no! Which one of the kids ratted me out?' she asked, laughing

'Liam – if you can believe it' answered Neal

At two and a half, Liam wasn't much of a talker but somehow he'd managed to spill to his dad that he'd found Sara rooting under their bed, frantically looking for the lost earring. The beautiful pearls had been a wedding gift from Neal and she'd worn them every year on their anniversary ever since their wedding day.

'You must have known I'd figure it out eventually' said Neal

'Well, I assumed I had seven more months to look for it before I had to come clean' said Sara, looking down at the beautiful earrings. 'Thanks, Neal. I think they're even more beautiful than the originals'

'Well, I can tell you the price has gone up since I bought the originals, so be forewarned. Don't freak out when we get the Visa bill' said Neal, eyes twinkling

It was one thing to surprise your soon to be bride with a gift on your wedding day without her knowing you'd busted the bank but there were very few secrets when you'd been married for over seven years. The fact that Sara was the bill payer in the family didn't help when it came to keeping money secrets from his wife and Neal had just learned to go with the flow.

'So... 39. How does it feel to be closing in on the big 4-0?' asked Neal, teasing

'I wouldn't know. Perhaps _you_ can enlighten me' answered Sara always giving as good as she got

'Well, you look beautiful' said Neal more seriously as he squeezed her hand 'As a matter of fact, you get more beautiful every year.'

'Once a conman, always a conman, Caffrey – or is this just a case of a man knowing what his wife wants to hear?' asked Sara, smelling a con

'Neither' answered Neal with a warm sincere smile 'Just stating the facts, that's all'

Sara leaned over the table between them and placed a gentle kiss on her husband's lips. He was such a romantic and he'd been instrumental in helping her soften up over the many years they'd been together. She didn't really care why he said those wonderful, romantic things – she just hoped he'd never stop.

They were interrupted by the waiter arriving with their food plates and Sara sat herself back down as she admired her choice - certainly not the type of fare the couple was used to sharing on their Friday night dinner out with the kids. They were dining at Eleven Madison Park in Gramercy and Sara figured that Neal must have booked weeks in advance because he'd managed to snag seating in the upper balcony overlooking the main dining room with an extraordinary view of Madison Square Park through amazing floor to ceiling windows. She took a deep breath, taking in the aromas of the amazing food on her plate.

'Neal, you're really spoiling me' she said finally, letting go of his hands to pick up her utensils

'You deserve it' answered Neal simply as he turned to his own plate

Dinner was leisurely, certainly a luxury and a rarity considering their busy lives as working parents of two busy children. Their life consisted of running the kids to and from school and the child minder, getting to work on time, putting in long days and returning home to making dinner, giving baths and supervising homework only to fall into bed exhausted and getting up to do it all over again. Not that either one of them was complaining. They both loved their family life and their time and energy gravitated mostly around their kids; frankly, they wouldn't want it any other way.

However, they did try to carve out some quality time for each other and thanks to Peter and Elizabeth's support, they got to enjoy special nights like this when they could turn their attention exclusively to one another. The fact that the kids were with the Burkes in Brooklyn and that they would have the house to themselves when they finally got home seemed to add to the romance of the evening and they both looked forward to reconnecting after a longer than usual dry spell.

Their children were definitely at the centre of their universe though and even when they found themselves alone, conversation would automatically flow to include the latest gem from Liam or Hope's most recent accomplishment. Liam was a rather quiet little guy, less outspoken than his sister and at two and a half, he had begun to develop his own personality and become his own little person. He was lanky, with a physique similar to his dad's but the coloring was all Sara – blond, reddish hair and freckles which peaked during the summer months. Although he was physically active, he was poised and coordinated and certainly not prone to being rambunctious. He seemed to prefer physical activity to the arts which Neal had learned to adjust to as his son began to show interest in certain team sports.

Hope, on the other hand, was very affable and confident and she could hold her own whether she was interacting with her friends at school or grown-ups in her entourage. The past year had been difficult for the child as she recovered from a very nasty incident involving Matthew Keller who had seen fit, in his warped mind, to kidnap her and hold her hostage just so he could see Neal suffer. It had been a terrifying time for the family and although Hope didn't speak much about it, her behavior had changed since the incident as she became a little more leery of the world and not quite as trusting of people she didn't know well. The odd time, she would still ask to come into her parents' bed at night, a sure sign that the normally well adjusted child was still struggling with the fallout from that scary episode in her life. Both Neal and Sara had been very patient with their daughter and Neal had worked hard to help her work though her fears through painting which Hope had a definite talent for. She had come up with a couple of really frightening pieces and Neal had used those occasions to get her to face her fears and share her concerns with him. Luckily, Hope was open and she shared her thoughts and feelings easily, helping to foster that special bond between father and daughter.

'You know, it's been over three weeks since Hope has asked to come into bed with us – I think that's the longest she's gone' said Neal, picking at his food

Sara nodded in agreement. 'I saw that painting she did last week. Even _I _was scared'

Neal just looked intensely at his wife.

'Do you think we should take her to therapy?' she finally added, her concern evident

'I don't' answered Neal as he stared into his wife's eyes noticing they were slightly glistening 'I think as long as she continues to talk about it, we should leave it alone'

Neal was a believer in people working things out for themselves – he'd had to figure things out on his own his whole life and he felt that because of those life experiences, he'd been able to develop some coping mechanisms and even though they hadn't all been _healthy _coping mechanisms, he believed that Hope had to figure things out for herself. He continued to be there, watching over his daughter and he felt he could guide her if need be and not let her slip too far away from the wonderful little person she was. Sara, on the other hand was not one for dwelling on feelings at the best of times but she _was_ worried about their daughter and she didn't want to do anything that would further damage the child.

'I think if she was closed up and didn't talk about it, we'd have something to worry about but she's open about how she's feeling and she's doing well at school...' Neal added

Sara took in a long slow breath. 'You're right. Let's just keep an eye on her' she finally said

'So, how's work?' she added, changing the subject to more neutral territory

'Busy. Did I mention the Tom Thomson that came in this week?' asked Neal, suddenly animated

'Which one?' she asked, her curiosity piqued. The painter was a renowned Canadian artist, one of the Group of Seven and his work had become even more sought out after his untimely and mysterious death.

'Autumn Foliage' he answered, excitedly

'That's a beautiful one. The colors are amazing' said Sara, just as excitedly

The couple loved to talk about art and they shared a love and appreciation for it in all its various forms. With Neal now working for Finch and Johns as an authenticator, he got to see some pretty amazing pieces up close and having them in his hands seemed to scratch an itch he no longer felt compelled to scratch by stealing them, something Sara was eternally grateful for.

'Yeah, well it's even more gorgeous in person if you can imagine' said Neal, his eyes wide

The waiter returned, this time with a miniature birthday cake decorated in marzipan in glorious fall colors, miniature autumn leaves in orange, yellow and green. Sara's eyes widened at the sight – it was just too beautiful to eat – and the waiter retreated giving the couple some privacy while he went to fetch coffee for them.

'What's up with that couple?' asked a fellow waiter when his cohort returned to the serving station

'I think it's the woman's birthday' said the first man

'Are they married?' asked the newcomer

'I don't know! What's with all the questions?' said the waiter, impatiently

'I think I recognize her. See if they have wedding bands, will you?' asked the tall, burly waiter

His buddy served up some coffee and made his way back to the table where Neal and Sara were now feeding each other bites of amazing lemon cake. That new guy – Craig Whatsisname – was really weird, thought the man. He'd only been with them for a couple of weeks but he seemed moody and brooding and didn't mix well with any of the other staff – a definite loner. Whatever was motivating his bizarre questions at this point in time was a mystery to him. The waiter discreetly glanced down at the couples intertwined fingers as he placed the coffee on the table.

'Everything to your satisfaction, sir?' he asked

'Terrific. Thank you' answered Neal as he glanced briefly at the waiter and returned his eyes to his beautiful wife

The waiter returned to the serving station noticing that Craig Whatsisname was lurking around awaiting his return.

'So?' asked Craig, his tone urgent

'The man has a wedding band' he answered, shrugging the question off and going about his business.

Craig Williamson continued to stare intensely at the couple, anger building inside him as he took in the news. He looked intently at Sara, her warm smile, her familiar red locks and his pulse quickened at the sight of her. Sara Ellis was his, she always had been and she always would be and he couldn't accept that someone could be standing in his way.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Brown University, Rhode Island, February 2002**

'_Hey!' said Craig as he poked his head into the dorm room_

'_Craig? What are you doing here?' asked Sara, a look of discomfort obvious on her face_

'_I thought we'd go for coffee' he answered as he made his way into the room_

_Craig and Sara had been going steady since the previous fall after meeting in Professor Taylor's third year Economics class. Craig had a quirky sense of humor and Sara liked that about him. She was still reeling from her parents' sudden and untimely death in a car accident the summer before and Craig had been a welcome distraction, keeping her from spiralling all the way down into the dark abyss of depression. They shared common interests in music and movies and whenever they were out, she forgot about her problems and he made her laugh. They had fun - fun that is, until Sara contradicted him or disagreed with what Craig wanted. Then, she'd noticed lately that he would become belligerent and angry and although she had no fear for her personal safety, she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with his frequent angry outbursts and possessive behavior. They had broken up just after Christmas over one of his more bizarre eruptions but he had come back, tail between his legs, and Sara had relented, grateful for the diversion._

'_I told you I had plans to go shopping with Tina this afternoon' she said, rising to face him_

'_C'mon Sara! I haven't seen you all week' he whined as he slipped his arm around her waist_

_Sara took a small step back, not wanting to be pulled into his embrace_

'_We've been through this before, Craig. You've got to give me some space. I can't be with you every minute of every day' she said firmly_

_Craig scoffed as he continued to pull Sara to him._

'_Tina's a bitch. She's not really a friend – you told me yourself you thought she was fickle' he continued_

'_No! She's not a bitch. Yes, we've had our disagreements but she's a good friend and I don't appreciate you putting her down' said Sara, a little more aggressively than she intended to_

'_Fine!' he exclaimed, curtly. 'Have it your way. But don't come looking for me when you get back'_

_Sara shook her head as the young man turned on his heels and headed for the door, his long blond curls bouncing as he went. When she thought of him lately, the good times they shared seemed to fade against his more frequent and aggressive outbursts and she had even suggested that he visit the student health office to get some help with getting himself under control, something the young man had scoffed at. Maybe it was time to call it quits, once and for all._

WCWCWC

Neal fell back onto the bed with a satisfied moan as Sara continued to giggle like a teenager.

'Wore you out, huh Caffrey?' she asked, pleased that she had outlasted him

'NO!' he answered, indignant 'Just thought it looked like you'd had enough' he exclaimed, still slightly out of breath

Their marathon lovemaking session had begun when they'd returned home shortly after 11:30 and it was now almost 2:00 in the morning.

'You seem to forget you've got five years on me!' Sara teased

Neal counted two beats, resisting the urge to react to her taunt.

'Let's just say I hung on as long as I possibly could' he finally said, pulling her into him with a satisfied grin on his face

'It's a good thing tomorrow's Saturday' Sara added, settling in and running her hand up and down her husband's glistening chest

'Yeah' agreed Neal, too exhausted to say anything else

'So, do you want to divide and conquer tomorrow morning?' Sara asked

'Sure, what do _you_ want to do? Dentist with Liam or grocery shopping with Hope?' Neal asked, already surmising her answer

Sara rolled her eyes. The last time she'd taken Liam to the dentist had been a disaster. He'd cried, refusing to open his mouth for kind and patient Dr. Foster and when he'd finally relented, he'd whined the whole time until Sara had given in and bribed him with the promise of ice cream.

'You serious?' she asked, looking into Neal's eyes

He shrugged 'Consider it one final birthday gift'

Generally speaking, Neal was much better with the kids than she was. Sara didn't have his patience or gentleness, sometimes snapping at Hope and Liam which only added fuel to the fire whenever they were upset. Hope could take it – she was wilful and headstrong like her mom and she gave as good as she got; her ego and self-esteem seemingly intact. But Liam was a gentle and delicate soul, much more like his dad in that way and Sara struggled with how to deal with him at times whereas Neal had a way of smoothing over the rough edges that she really appreciated.

'Thank you!' she said gushing as she placed tiny kisses along his jaw line, cajoling him into jumping back into action

'Oh, no!' said Neal, tickling her 'The shop is closed for the night'

WCWCWC

Craig Williamson lay in bed in his small bachelor apartment in the Bronx, arm behind his head as he thought of the unexpected and amazing surprise he'd just had back at the restaurant. Sara Ellis! He hadn't seen her in over fifteen years and there she was looking just as if it was yesterday.

He'd moved to New York six months before, right after his mother had passed away from breast cancer. She was the only person who understood him and she'd managed to keep him on the straight and narrow since his diagnosis so many years before. Over the years, she'd made sure he went to all his therapy sessions and took his medication as prescribed. Now that she was gone, Craig's regimented routine had gone by the wayside and he'd finally moved to the Big Apple to start a new life away from the prying eyes of all who knew him in his hometown of Lawrence, Massachusetts.

His mind returned to Sara – what a shock seeing her again, after all these years. She looked amazing, just like she had when they were in college. He wondered not for the first time why they'd ever broken up. They were perfect for each other: he, the football star, she the beautiful redhead, always at this side. Finally, they would be able to resume their relationship, he thought, as he lay in the dark, totally awake. He just had to get rid of whoever that clown was she'd had dinner with. He had followed the couple home to White Plains in his beat up Chevy Impala and saw her going into a house with this guy. That was okay though; as soon as Sara laid eyes on him again, she would realize how much she still loved him and she'd drop whoever this guy was. He just had to find a way to reconnect with her and everything would be alright.

WCWCWC

'Wow. Look at you, you're such a big boy, now' said Neal as he glanced in the rear view mirror at his son tucked into his car seat. Liam smiled contentedly back at his dad.

'So, you and me, buddy - going for breakfast while the girls do the shopping. We're pretty lucky, huh?' added Neal

Liam nodded enthusiastically - Neal had mentioned they were going out for breakfast at their local eatery, something the little boy loved doing with his dad.

'I want pancakes' he said eagerly

'Sure. We just have to stop at Dr. Foster's for a few minutes and let him take a look at your teeth. Make sure they're all working properly so you can bite into those pancakes'

'Okay, daddy' said Liam, still smiling 'Can I have blueberries in my pancakes?'

WCWCWC

'Hope, please. We've talked about this – no junk cereal' said Sara as she pushed the cart down the aisle. She was on a mission and you couldn't stop Sara Ellis when she was on a mission.

'But I _love_ Captain Crunch' Hope whined dramatically, reluctantly putting the box back on the shelf

'Well, he doesn't love you. He'll rot your teeth and ruin your insides' Sara said, just as dramatically

'Can I go choose the apples?' Hope asked, changing the subject. Whenever Sara said no to something, she knew better than to insist.

'Sure. Get six Galas and six Granny Smiths and then come right back' Sara instructed

She watched as Hope wandered away, heading towards the produce section. She still wasn't able to take her eyes off her daughter when they were out in public – that lingering fear that someone might take her against her will was still uppermost in her mind despite the fact that the horrible incident with Keller had happened almost a year before. Hope was a very responsible seven year old and she had developed some survival skills far beyond her young age but Sara was more protective than ever and her eyes continued to follow her daughter as she watched her make her way to the fruit stall.

'Sara? Sara Ellis?' she heard behind her as she turned to see who was standing there

Her eyes widened at the sight of Craig Williamson, whom she hadn't laid eyes on since the day she graduated from Brown over fifteen years before. There was no mistaking him though, his broad shoulders, his blond curls although shorter and more appropriate to his age, his broad smile and crinkling brown eyes.

'Craig? Is that you?' she asked spontaneously

'What are you doing here, in New York?' he asked, moving in to place a kiss on her cheek and give her a hug

'I live here, in White Plains' Sara answered, still shocked to find this blast from her past standing there in front of her so unexpectedly

'Oh yeah? Me too, I just moved here six months ago' he responded, his smile broadening

'Mommy?' Hope interrupted quietly as she looked up suspiciously at the man. She was always more nervous around strange men these days.

'Hey honey. You got the apples?' Sara asked taking the bags from her and placing them in the cart

'This is an old friend of mine. His name is Craig' Sara said, sensing her daughter's discomfort and taking Hope's hand to reassure her

Hope looked on, unsure.

'And this is my daughter, Hope' Sara continued as she returned to look at Craig

'Hi Hope' said Craig, grinning broadly

'Listen, Sara. Let's get together and catch up' said Craig 'How can I get in touch with you?'

Sara hesitated for a moment. Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the last time she'd been with him, he looked in total control of his emotions. She hoped he'd gotten the help he needed and that he was doing better. What possible reason could she have for not agreeing to meet with him for coffee? It would be harmless, she thought, as she reached into her purse to pull out one of her business cards.

'Here. Call me at work and maybe we can meet up for coffee sometime' she said as she handed it over

'Great!' said Craig, a wicked smile on his lips as he placed the card in his jeans pocket

WCWCWC

'Well, young man, your teeth are in great shape. Are you brushing them every day?' asked the dentist as he removed the bib from Liam and released him from the chair

Liam nodded enthusiastically.

'He sure does. Twice a day!' exclaimed Neal, ruffling his son's hair and helping him down

'Well, now you can go with Vicky and she'll let you choose a new toothbrush' said the doctor as he turned to face Neal

'Thanks Dr. Foster' said Neal, smiling

'He seems to be getting over his fear of dentists' said the doctor

'You'd be amazed what a little re-framing will do' answered Neal as he realized, a little sheepishly, that he had just run a con on his own son

'Daddy, blue!' Liam exclaimed as he held up an orange toothbrush

Neal smiled as he took his hand.

'You ready for those blueberry pancakes?' he asked

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It was the middle of the afternoon by the time the family reconnected at their home on Meadowbrook Street in beautiful suburban White Plains. Neal and Liam had run a couple of errands after their breakfast at the Pinto Café. It was mid-November already and Neal wanted to pick up a couple of things at their local True Hardware store in preparation for the upcoming holidays. Since they'd moved into their neighborhood, Neal had enjoyed decorating the outside of their house for the Christmas season and over the past several years, he'd really gotten into the friendly competition on the street, despite Sara's lack of enthusiasm for the yearly event. Every year, neighbors tried to outdo each other with the most festive looking house on the block and Neal was a very willing and competitive participant actually having won the competition two years before.

'Great minds think alike' Neal heard as he held Liam's hand and guided him to the Christmas display.

'Jeff Mason! I should have known you'd read the same sale flyers as I do' Neal answered, joking

Jeff and Donna were Neal and Sara's neighbors three houses over and parents to Olivia, Hope's best friend in the world. The couples shared an easy friendship, often swapping child care and Olivia had spent countless nights at the Caffreys' place as Hope had at the Masons. But all was fair in love and... Christmas challenges and Jeff was a worthy opponent – someone to be reckoned with.

'So...' Neal added, backing off to see what Jeff was heading for. After all, it wouldn't do to purchase the same stuff – the trick to winning was to stand out and be different from everyone else on the street.

Jeff laughed as he figured out Neal's technique. 'You guys want to do dinner next weekend?' he asked

'Sure, let me check with Sara' answered Neal as he began to eye the goods up and down - it was amazing how much Christmas stuff the stores stocked just days after Halloween.

Jeff made his choice, some lights and a frightening looking blow-up figure of Frosty and made his way towards the cash as he waved Neal and Liam off.

'Come on, buddy. Let's see what we can find' said Neal as he led his son down the store aisle.

WCWCWC

Sara sat at the kitchen table, checking out the Saturday paper and sipping on a cup of tea with Hope nestled nearby in the family room, sketching with the new set of charcoal Neal had bought her the week before. Sara loved Saturdays, the leisurely pace, the temporary lull in the craziness that was their lives. On Saturdays, although there were errands to run and things to do, they could do it all on a more laid-back schedule, accountable only to themselves.

She heard the front door open and the unmistakable sound of Liam's running feet and she looked up to greet the two most important men in her life.

'Mommy, mommy' yelled Liam 'we got Santa'

Sara spied Neal as he struggled behind his son, lugging a huge Santa and looking at his wife with a broad smile, surmising her reaction which didn't take long in coming.

'You're kidding!' she said 'It's November 12th, Neal and that thing...that thing is monstrous' she added, pointing to the eight foot Santa with creepy eyes staring back at her.

'Wow!' said Hope, otherwise speechless, as she stood to make her way closer to the action

'Sara, if we want to win, we've got to play the game...' said Neal, grinning, as he made his way to the patio door off the family room

WCWCWC

Craig Williamson watched the show from the curb, safely hidden away in his Chevy as he saw _that man_ return with a _little_ boy and a _big_ Santa. Looked like Sara was living the suburban life – a far cry from what Craig had imagined her life would be. Sara was an up and comer at university, a brilliant student and he'd known back then that she would have a spectacular life no matter what she chose to do. But this? This mundane family life with this douche bag just wasn't right for Sara. She belonged in the big city, living the high life, not in the dreary suburbs making babies and doing some man's bidding. She would realize that for herself, he thought, and soon they would get a nice place in Manhattan and start living their lives together. Their estrangement was temporary and Sara would _realize_ that as soon as he got the chance to spend some time with her. He reigned in his impulses; he wanted to just barge in and take her by the hand, leading her away from this boring existence but he thought better of it as he fiddled with her business card, running his fingers lovingly over her name. At least she didn't have this jerk's name, whoever he was.

WCWCWC

Elizabeth and Sara began to clear the dishes off the table and sent their husbands to the living room to chat about... whatever Neal and Peter chatted about of which there was never a shortage of subjects. The women had just made their way into the kitchen when Elizabeth let out a loud shriek as she spotted someone staring at her from outside the kitchen window.

'What is... _that_?' she asked, pointing to the window and slowly regaining her composure

'Oh' answered Sara, matter of fact 'That's Neal's latest purchase in his long standing quest to win the stupid Christmas decoration competition'

Neal had a competitive streak as long as his arm and despite the passing years, he still had to be the best at everything, this being no exception.

'I thought he won that?' asked Elizabeth as she began to stack the dishes by the sink

'He did. Two years back but that's not good enough. Jeff won last year and Neal is determined to outdo him this time around' she said, sounding very much like a long-suffering wife

'Men!' responded El 'They'll find just about anything to compete about!'

'So, tell me' she continued 'How was your dinner out last night – hey wait a minute, is that...'

Sara interrupted her as she touched her ears. She had chosen to keep the pearls in, figuring she wouldn't lose them that way.

'You like them?' she asked her friend

'But I thought you lost one of them?' asked El

'I did. This is a new pair - my birthday gift from Neal' answered Sara with a wide grin

'Wow. They're beautiful. You're so lucky to have a romantic for a husband. Peter gave me a food processor for my last birthday' Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes

Sara laughed. She had to agree; for all his idiosyncrasies, Neal was a very sweet and thoughtful husband – maybe a creepy looking Santa on her back porch was the price to pay for that.

'You'll never guess what happened today' began Sara, changing the subject as she began to run water for the dishes

'I bumped into my old college boyfriend' she continued

Elizabeth looked at her friend, obviously curious and waiting for more.

'He just materialized in front of me at the grocery store' said Sara, shrugging

'So... what? Is he living here in New York?' asked El

'Apparently...' Sara responded, going quiet all of a sudden

'What aren't you telling me?' asked Elizabeth, her radar fully functioning as usual

'Well, our relationship was very bumpy and it ended... well, bizarrely' Sara volunteered

Elizabeth's eyes lit up. After all these years of friendship, there were apparently still things about Sara Ellis she didn't know.

'We met in third year and dated for about six months but he was extremely possessive and towards the end, his behavior became, well, shall we say, creepy' volunteered Sara

'Oh yeah? How?' asked El, now in full curiosity mode

'Well, he didn't like me spending time with any of my friends and he had it in his head that we were going to be together for the long run – although I certainly didn't. It was right after my parents died and frankly, I enjoyed his company at first. He was funny – and really cute – and you know, the sex was good and being with him filled a void in my life. But we just never really connected, you know, at least I didn't _feel_ a connection.'

Elizabeth listened intently, continuing to dry the dishes as if by rote.

'We actually broke up for a while but by graduation, we'd started seeing each other again. And then, there was that weird incident at commencement'

The look on El's face urged her to continue.

'He'd been acting strange for a few weeks, worse than ever, with angry outbursts and weird comments about our 'future' and then at graduation, he got up on stage to get his diploma and he stopped, facing the audience and yelled out 'Sara Ellis, I love you. Marry me'

'O-kay' said El, taking it in 'Were you _that_ serious?'

'No, that's just it. He had this warped perception of our relationship and where we were headed. His mom was there and she and I chatted and she told me that she'd been worried about his mental health for some time.'

'So, how did it end?' asked Elizabeth

'Well, I let him down as easily as I could. He was devastated and went back to Massachusetts where he was from with his mom. She wrote me a couple of times and told me he'd been diagnosed with some sort of delusional disorder and that he was getting better with treatment and medication'

'So, how did he look today?'

'Okay, I guess. A little intense but it could have been the surprise of seeing me after all these years' Sara answered, thinking back to their short encounter at the grocery store

'So, are you going to see him again?' asked Elizabeth

'Well, he asked if we could meet for coffee and I gave him my business card. Now, I'm wondering if I did the right thing...'

'Are you going to tell Neal?' El asked

'Of course! I just haven't had the chance yet. No secrets between us in that department!' Sara added as she thought back to a similar situation a couple of years before when Neal had run into an old girlfriend of his and not told her about it.

'What are you two doing in here?' Neal asked as he made his way into the kitchen on a mission to find some dessert

Sara looked up, smiling sheepishly at her husband and turned to look back at Elizabeth, a look of concern in her eyes.

WCWCWC

'So you're okay with me having coffee with him?' asked Sara as they settled in bed for the night

'Why wouldn't I be?' asked Neal, stopping then adding '_Should_ I be worried?'

'Of course not' answered Sara

She'd told him about running into Craig Williamson but she hadn't given him the full nine yards about their relationship and the fact that the man had been mentally ill. She was pretty sure that Craig was doing better in that department. His eyes had been clear and his smile easy when she'd seen him and she hoped that whatever issues he'd had in the past were now well under control. Certainly, his mom had seemed more than aware of the issues and had tackled them head on.

She settled into her husband's arms, feeling safe and loved. No matter how tired they were, Sara and Neal never went to sleep without a cuddle which sometimes led to more... athletic endeavours. But on this night, the couple was tired and lay in each other's arms for a few minutes before settling in to sleep. The creepy Santa was all but forgotten as Sara curled up in this wonderful man's arms, realizing again how very lucky she was to have Neal and their children as the focus in her life. Life had a way of teaching you what you needed to learn and she was forever grateful that she had been led down this wonderful path that was now her life - so different from what she might have foreseen twenty years before. She gave Neal a hug and a gentle kiss and turned over settling in to sleep and feeling him curl up behind her.

Although her life was perfect, she couldn't help the fleeting feeling that something wasn't quite right. She shrugged off the uneasy feeling and promptly fell asleep.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

'Hey buddy, what's up?' Neal asked as he glanced at his son's reflection (or rather what he could see of the very top of his blond head) in the bathroom mirror

'I want to shave too!' Liam said, his voice small as he carefully lifted his leg up high to climb onto the stool that was kept in the bathroom for just this purpose

'Oh yeah? Let me feel that fuzz' Neal said as he ran a hand gently over his son's chin

'Oh, yeah - you definitely need a shave' he said, authoritatively as he put down his electric razor and opened the drawer, pulling out the toy razor he'd recently bought for his son.

Liam nodded, pleased; he was really into imitating his dad these days, wanting to try his hand at just about anything Neal did - and shaving had been no exception. Neal had picked up the toy electric razor at the local Target store, a child sized plastic contraption that vibrated and made a low humming noise just like the real thing. Liam turned on his 'razor' and began to mimic Neal, moving it in a circular motion on his chin and cheeks, his eyes firmly on his dad, making sure to mirror each one of his movements.

Neal returned to the task at hand, smiling a small, private smile. He loved moments like these, moments where he could bond with his son and share some 'guy' things with him. Of course, he'd always loved spending time with Hope – especially in the studio where she continued to impress him with her amazing instincts and burgeoning talent but this... this was different. This was a little boy who looked up to him, wanting to try his hand at everything his dad did. Luckily, Neal was a very patient father, taking the time to explain things; he never pushed Liam who was basically quiet and unassuming and preferred to take the time to observe the world and the people in it. He often needed his dad to take the first step and ask him what was up. Neal could really identify with that particular personality trait of Liam's - he'd been an astute observer himself growing up; needing to figure people out before speaking up. This was in direct contrast to Hope who was outspoken and opinionated and could make her needs known, anytime, anyplace.

Same recipe, different outcome.

'Oh!' said Neal pointing in the mirror 'You missed a spot'

Liam squinted and examined his reflection, sticking out his tongue in an obvious attempt at concentrating and tried again.

WCWCWC

Sara had just returned from her Monday morning staff meeting and was just settling in at her desk to catch up on her e-mails when she noticed the annoying blinking light on her office phone. Mondays were always hectic but Sara insisted on meeting her team first thing in the morning so they could go over the priorities for the week ahead, set goals and discuss any outstanding issues. It was a necessary evil but it meant that by the time she settled in at her desk, it was almost noon and there were always several dozen e-mails and phone calls waiting to be answered.

She was about to begin listening to her phone messages, when the phone rang in her hand making her jump in the process.

'Sara Ellis' she said, as if by rote

'_Sara, it's Craig' _came the familiar yet unfamiliar voice

She was momentarily taken aback - Craig? Craig who? when she finally clued in. She had all but forgotten about her encounter with her ex and her mind had been totally elsewhere triggering a surprised reaction at the sound of his voice.

'Craig... hello' she answered, slightly flustered

'_Listen, I had a lunch meeting cancel at the last minute and I thought of you' _he sounded rather breathless, she thought

'Oh, today's really not a good day' said Sara, glancing at her schedule

'_Aww, come on, Sara. You have to eat, right?' _the man insisted, somewhat whiny

Sara glanced over at the leftover pot roast and green beans sitting in the Ziploc container on the corner of her desk and sighed. She got the feeling Craig wouldn't let up until she agreed to meet with him; he'd always been very insistent when he set his mind to something. She might as well get it over with.

'Alright' she sighed 'How about we meet at the Green Cactus over on 48th? But I only have an hour' she warned

'_Perfect. I'll be there at noon' _came his answer as he hung up

She couldn't quite put her finger on it but she was dreading the lunch date. Her mind wandered, her thoughts settling happily on Neal and she picked up her phone.

WCWCWC

Neal sat at his desk, filing his report on the recovered Thomson painting, his mind wandering. This was definitely the most boring and painstaking part of his job although it _was_ a necessary evil. Neal had the attention span of a four year old at the best of times but when it came time to report writing, he struggled even more with keeping his mind on the matter at hand. He switched over to another document he always kept open on his screen: the list of current outstanding insured pieces which were still out there - somewhere. That was a lot more exciting for him; it gave him a glance at what might be coming down the pike. He smiled as he took in the list of missing items including a Renoir, a lesser known Gaugin and a Munch. That one, 'The Dance of Life', had always been a particular favorite of his and his pulse quickened at the thought that at some point in the near future, he might have the opportunity to hold it in his hands.

His eyes wandered to the picture of the four smiling faces he kept on his desk and Neal thought back to the wonderful weekend they had just spent as a family. Once again, he wondered how the hell he had ended up sitting at a desk in Manhattan staring at a picture of a couple of kids, mooning over the most beautiful woman in the world who'd saved him from a life of pain and suffering. When he'd been travelling Europe aimlessly in his twenties, going wherever the wind (or his whim) took him, he wouldn't have dared think of a settled and happy life. Now, somehow, this conman had nabbed _his_ white whale and it was so much better than he could ever have imagined it would be.

His assistant, Joyce, walked in noticing him staring off into space.

'Neal' she said, interrupting his reverie 'You okay?'

'Yeah' he responded, pointing to his computer screen where the report appeared, half written

'I'm going out for lunch, okay?' she asked 'Can I bring you back anything?'

Neal pointed to the container of roast and veggies on his desk 'Got it covered' he said, smiling

His cell phone vibrated nearby and he reached for it – anything so he could procrastinate writing his report even for a few more seconds. It was a text from Sara and he smiled as he saw her face lighting up his phone.

Sara: Thinking of you

Neal: Aww, that's nice!

Sara: You picking up Hope?

Neal: Sure

Sara: I'll do Liam

Neal: Miss me?

Sara: Always

Neal smiled goofily as he read and reluctantly shook off his apathy, returning to his computer screen; the damn report wasn't going to write itself.

WCWCWC

The restaurant was buzzing as all downtown eateries did during the weekday lunch hour – so many people in Manhattan taking a break from work to get a bite to eat. Sara glanced around the place and spotted Craig at a nearby table facing the door, seemingly checking his phone. He was wearing a three piece suit and he looked quite different from how he'd appeared two days before – older, more mature. She made her way to him as he raised his eyes, spotting her and standing to welcome her.

'Sara!' he said, hugging her enthusiastically

'Hi Craig' she answered rather awkwardly

'Sit, I've ordered us a bottle of wine – Italian red, right?' he said motioning her to sit down

'Yes, but I don't usually drink at lunch' said Sara sheepishly as Craig ignored her and proceeded to fill her glass

'You look amazing' he said, returning his eyes to the woman sitting across from him

'You look good too' she answered 'How's everything?'

He shrugged looking innocent and guileless. His sparkling eyes appeared excited and his curls framed his face, reminding Sara of the young man he'd once been.

'I still can't believe we've found each other after all this time' exclaimed Craig 'I think it was meant to be!'

Sara frowned at his choice of words but then again, Craig had always had a flair for the dramatic.

'So, tell me about your job at Sterling Bosch' he asked, returning to safer conversation

'Well, I supervise a group of insurance investigators who work at recovering stolen items on behalf of our most elite clientele' she answered, pretty well summing up her responsibilities in one brief sentence

'That sounds very glamorous. Something I can definitely see you doing; you've always had a knack for art' said Craig as he lifted his glass, inviting Sara to do the same.

She reluctantly lifted her glass following suit, despite her discomfort with his doggedness.

'What about you? What are you doing in New York?' she asked

'Well, I'm working on Wall Street - as a stock broker' he lied as he nervously glanced at his phone

'Sorry, I just need to check this' he added, looking down at his phone and pretending to read some important text or e-mail

Sara waited patiently. She could sense intensity radiating off the man although it could be just the job – high stress jobs did that to you. She eyed him up and down as his attention stayed on his phone, noting that he was aging well, looking fit, his hair perfectly coiffed, his suit pressed.

'Sorry. It's been a crazy morning!' he fibbed, staring intently into her eyes

The waiter appeared out of nowhere, a welcome interruption as Sara continued to feel uneasy about the situation. Once alone, Craig reached out and took Sara's hand in his.

'You look amazing - you've haven't changed a bit!' he declared, his voice languorous 'I knew when I saw you at the store the other day, that we were destined to see each other again'

Sara laughed nervously, pulling her hand away. Whatever Craig thought this was, it was most certainly not a 'date' and she needed to set him straight before he went too far with whatever erroneous impression he'd gotten from her.

'Craig, I think you're getting the wrong idea. I'm a married woman' she said, smiling kindly at the man

'That doesn't matter. Things change, Sara; I can be patient while you work things out with your ex' he continued, his dark eyes boring into hers

'Craig, stop! I'm not working anything out; and he's _not_ my ex. I'm _happily_ married and I have two children' Sara said, a little more loudly than she meant. She noticed that her small outburst had attracted the attention of diners at a nearby table.

'Sara, that's no life for you. Living in the suburbs with some deadbeat guy and raising his kids. You're destined to live in the big city with art and culture all around you. I can give you that; we could have a wonderful life together'

'Look, Craig. I'm sorry but this was a bad idea. I'm sorry if I've said or done anything to make you think...' Sara began

The man interrupted her, taking her hand again, this time more forcefully.

'Sara, I saw the way you looked at me... the way you're looking at me now. We're meant to be together; we can work this out –' he said suddenly becoming agitated, his voice strident

Sara stood, abruptly. This was way too creepy for her – whatever hopes she'd entertained that Craig had somehow overcome his mental health issues were now dashed and she realized that the man wasn't well. The faster she could get away from him, the better.

'Craig, I wish you all the best, I really do. But please, get some help and don't try to contact me again' she finally said, grabbing her purse and turning decisively to walk away.

Sara walked briskly back to her office without turning back. Although she wasn't afraid for her personal safety, she was most certainly getting very weird vibes off this man and she hoped that this was the end of it and that he wouldn't try to contact her again.

Unfortunately, she was wrong on both counts.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Monday was finally behind them; it was always the toughest day of the week as everyone got back into the groove. Sara got off the train at the White Plains Station and picked up the family car which had been sitting at the park and ride lot all day. She and Neal usually split up to pick up the kids since Liam was at the child minder's and Hope was at school a few blocks over. The person picking up Liam always had first dibs on the car since the little guy had short legs and couldn't walk the six blocks home – especially after a day of busy play with his friends. They were looking forward to the day Liam started school and they could have him attend the after school program at Ridgeway like his big sister - it would make things a lot easier on Neal and Sara then.

Sara thought back to her strange encounter at lunch and the subsequent eight messages Craig had left on her office voice mail that afternoon. He was persistent; she had to give him that. She would have to come clean with Neal and tell him what was going on, maybe get his take on how she should handle the situation.

It was only five o'clock but it was already beginning to get dark as winter lay in wait. This day was cool but still great weather for playing at the park which is where Sara found her son under the watchful eye of his babysitter, Fran.

Sara could see her son in the sand box playing with his pal Joshua and she waved to him, making her way to Fran to get the usual report on Liam's day.

'Hey Fran!' said Sara

'Sara. How are you? How was your day?' asked the young woman

'Monday...' Sara said, no further explanation being necessary

'Well, Liam had a great day. He napped for an hour and a half this afternoon and he ate everything on his plate at lunch – vegetable soup and humus and pita bread with carrot sticks'

'Excellent. Thanks Fran' said Sara as she turned to signal Liam that it was time to go.

Only he wasn't where he'd been just a moment before and Sara began to scan the park for him, not seeing him in the sandbox or on the nearby swings. She continued to look around finally spotting a man on one of the park benches with a little boy on his lap – her little boy.

'Liam!' she screamed, with an edge of desperation to her voice 'Liam!'

He looked up towards his mom and that's when she saw the familiar locks of blond hair as the man continued talking to her son, seemingly handing him something.

Sara picked up the pace and within a few steps, despite her less than ideal footwear, she was running outright as she saw Craig gently put Liam down and begin to walk away, turning to wave to the child as he left. Sara finally reached the boy, totally frantic and crouched to pull him to her, noticing the sucker in his hand.

'Honey, are you alright?' she said, breathless as she picked him up off the ground and held him close

'The man gave me candy' he said, holding it out for her to see

Sara abruptly grabbed the green sucker from his hand as Liam looked at her questioningly, his lower lip quivering as he began to cry.

'Liam, how many times do we have to tell you? You can't speak to strangers. What did that man say to you?' she screamed as Liam began to wail even louder, reacting to her shrill and accusatory tone of voice

'Honey, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you' she said softly, realizing that her extreme reaction was just making things worse for the child.

She could still see the back of Craig's head as he nonchalantly left the park, eventually disappearing from view. She took in a deep breath trying to regain her composure as she realized that Craig was somehow goading her, letting her know in no uncertain terms that he knew everything about her and her family.

She held Liam tightly and she suddenly felt a shiver up her spine.

WCWCWC

On most nights, after the kids were finally in bed, Sara and Neal would flop down on the couch in the family room enjoying a couple of hours of adult time before they had to hit the sack. Usually, Sara would pull out her laptop and answer e-mails for about an hour while Neal finished tidying up the kitchen. But on this night, she returned from putting the kids to bed and made her way to where he was standing, hunched over the kitchen counter with his reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose, looking at a recipe book.

He felt her presence before he actually caught sight of her and he turned to look into her eyes.

'You okay? You've been quiet all night' he said as he reached out and pulled her in for a quick hug

She reluctantly looked up to meet his gaze and he could tell that Sara was obviously anxious and upset.

'Neal, I have something to tell you' she said as she down sat at the kitchen table

'What? You're scaring me' he responded as he sat facing her, noticing how pale her face had become

Sara took a deep breath. She didn't want to overreact but there was no way she was going to take chances with their children's safety. Whatever game Craig was playing, she needed to come clean with Neal even though she really didn't think the man was prone to violence.

'I didn't tell you everything about my ex-boyfriend, Craig Williamson' she began as Neal kept his eyes riveted on her

'We broke up because he had some mental health issues' she continued

'What... what kind of mental health issues?' Neal asked

'I never really found out the exact diagnosis but I know it's some sort of delusional disorder' Sara volunteered

'Delusional?' Neal repeated as he let this new information sink in

'You know, he gets to believing things are a certain way when they're really not. The last I heard I got a letter from his mom a few months after we graduated; she said he'd been getting treatment and was doing much better'

'Have you seen him again since Saturday?' asked Neal, suddenly putting two and two together

Sara nodded. 'Yeah, he called me today and asked me to meet him for lunch'

'And...'

'I met him but we only talked for a few minutes and I left. Neal, he's not well' Sara said

'What did he do? Did he hurt you?' Neal asked, suddenly concerned

'No, no nothing like that' said Sara, grabbing Neal's hand as much for support as to reassure him

'He's not violent, at least I don't think he is but he's obviously off his meds. His behavior was... weirdly inappropriate. He started to talk as if we were still involved... saying that we belonged together and that the life I was living in suburbia was not for me and...'

'How does he know about our lives?' Neal asked already fearing the answer

'I don't know but I think he's been watching us. Neal, there's more but I don't want you to get upset' Sara said

Neal just waited patiently for her to continue. Sara just didn't know how to tell Neal about the incident at the park without him blowing a gasket.

'Sara! Tell me!' he said, growing impatient

She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her thoughts. 'When I went to get Liam, Fran had taken them to the park and _he_ was there'

'This Craig guy was at the park? Why? Was he watching Liam or what?'

'Worse. I turned for just a minute to talk to Fran and...' Sara began to cry softly

Neal leaned in as Sara's voice grew quiet.

'... he was there, talking to Liam, holding him on his lap'

'What? Is he some sort of pedophile or something?' Neal asked, growing even more agitated, his voice louder

'No, I'm sure it's not that. I... I think he was just goading me... letting me know that he could get to Liam if he wanted to'

'What does he want?' Neal asked, realizing the enormity of what his wife had just shared

'I think he wants me to leave my family and go live with him in some made up world he's concocted' Sara said

'We have to notify the police' said Neal, rising and reaching for his phone

'Neal, wait, let's talk this through' Sara began

'What is there to talk about, some creep accosted our son at the park, Sara!' he said loudly

'Why don't we talk to Peter first? Maybe he can give us some advice' said Sara

Neal began to pace the floor, shaking his head in disbelief.

'And you're sure he didn't hurt him ... or you' he asked, looking in Sara's direction

'No, I saw Liam in the sandbox and a few seconds later I saw Craig on a park bench with Liam on his lap. He'd given him a sucker. He wasn't in contact with him for more than 30 seconds'

Neal let out a loud sigh and rolled his eyes. 'Did you ask Liam what he'd said?'

'Yeah, but I had lost it by then and I think I scared Liam. I didn't get much out of him after that; he said the man just called his name and invited him to the bench and gave him some candy. Look, if he wanted to hurt him, he could have run off with him; I was a good forty feet away'

Neal stared in disbelief.

'But he didn't. He just wanted me to know that...' she let her voice trail

'What?' Neal asked

'That he _could_ if he wanted to' she said sheepishly

'Look, this guy lives here in New York, right? I'm sure the police can find him. What do you know about him? Does he have a job here?' Neal asked as he began to think more clearly

'He said he was a stock broker but I get the feeling it was just part of this persona he's created for himself'

'Well, let's look him up, get an address on him' he said, grabbing for the nearby laptop and frantically typing

'Shit! There are 38 Craig Willamsons in the New York area' he said as he stared in disbelief

'Did he say anything about where he lived? Manhattan? One of the other boroughs?' he asked, hoping to narrow down his search.

Sara shook her head.

'Peter could find out if he has a record' Neal continued, his mind now in overdrive

'Sure...' said Sara 'but I really doubt it, Neal'

Neal finally came to his senses, realizing that Sara was just as upset about what had happened to Liam as he was. He stood and walked over to her pulling her into his arms.

'It's okay, baby. None of this is your fault. We'll figure it out, okay?' he said his voice soothing

Neal's sudden show of compassion was all it took - Sara began to sob, feeling somehow responsible for what was happening. If only she hadn't met with the guy maybe none of this would have happened. Neal held her for a moment, rubbing her back and breathing slowly as he considered their next steps.

'Employment records!' Neal suddenly exclaimed as he pulled away 'We could get Peter to do a search; maybe we can find out where he works. Maybe something will make sense'

Sara wiped her eyes, calm returning to her mind.

'He said he'd only been in New York for six months – that might help' she said

'Sara, I need you to write down every little detail he might have let slip when you talked to him. There may be a grain of truth we can build on. Don't leave anything out, okay' said Neal, dialing as he spoke

'Peter, I know it's getting late but we have a situation here. Do you think you could come over?' asked Neal, his voice full of emotion

He hung up, returning to Sara and putting an arm around her. 'It's okay, you're safe, we're all safe. We'll figure this out'

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

'Guys, I know this is upsetting but this Craig guy hasn't done _anything_ we could charge him with' said Peter, his voice calm

He had high tailed it over to White Plains as soon as he'd hung up the phone, sensing the alarm in Neal's voice and the threesome was presently huddled at the kitchen table over coffee, trying to come up with a reasonable course of action.

'As upsetting as this all is, he hasn't made any threats, right?' Peter asked

'No' Neal conceded. 'But Peter, the guy is hanging around the kids, there's _gotta_ be something that can be done' said Neal, leaning forward obviously upset

'Neal, even if we find this guy – and I could do a search and see what we come up with – but even if we find him, all we could do is question him for now...' he explained. Peter loved those kids like they were his own and he was just as anxious as Neal and Sara were to make sure they were safe but he also knew the limits of the law.

'Peter, this guy is not well...' Sara began

'I understand. Look, you should definitely let the school know and ask Liam's babysitter to keep a closer eye on him and if this guy makes any other attempt at contacting you, we could bring him in for questioning' Peter said. He hated this feeling of helplessness – so many times, criminals stayed just under the radar and he hated it when the elusive ones slipped through his fingers - as Neal had done so many times all those years ago.

Sara looked nervously up at Neal. She hadn't 'fessed up about the fact that Craig was continuing to leave numerous messages on her voice mail at work – maybe this undisclosed fact could help track him down.

'What about the dozens of messages on my voice mail at work?' she finally said as Neal looked up at her, his eyes widening

'What messages?' he asked, obviously miffed that his wife hadn't told him _everything_

'It's nothing, Neal' she shrugged, hoping to keep her husband from losing it. 'He says basically the same thing each time: he begs me to pick up, tells me he's waiting for me, that we should be together...'

'Any threats?' asked Peter, looking for the thin wedge that might give him some leverage to act

'No, nothing' said Sara 'Just, please pick up... But there _is_ a number that comes up' she said, writing it down and handing it over to Peter

'Maybe I should meet up with him – at least you could get eyes on him, follow him -' she began as she was rudely interrupted

'NO!' said both Peter and Neal simultaneously

'Guys, really!' Sara continued 'You could back me up...'

'NO!' the men repeated adamantly

'How many times have _you_ gone undercover, Neal? And Peter, you could put a wire on me, I could get him to talk...' she said as she looked from one man to the other trying to convince them both.

Peter and Neal just glared at Sara urging her to stop but she carried on 'I'm the only one who can draw him out, he's not going to come out for anyone else'

Neal was shaking his head, unwavering.

'Not a good idea' said Peter 'You really don't know what he's capable of, Sara. Look, let me start by checking out this phone number. Maybe we can trace him, at least lean on him. This definitely qualifies as harassment' he said, taking the piece of paper from Sara's hand

He turned to Sara 'Could you give us a description?'

'I can do better than that' she answered as she suddenly remembered the old yearbooks stored in the basement

Within moments, she'd returned, pointing to a dated picture of Craig Williamson. His blond curls were a defining feature and although his face had matured and his hair was shorter, he still looked like the man she'd seen just that afternoon.

Neal leaned in to take a look, mumbling under his breath 'Good looking guy...'

Sara turned to glare at her husband who was usually so cool and confident when it came to any of his competition. 'Really Neal?' she said, miffed

'Just sayin...' answered Neal sheepishly

Peter took the photograph with him and made a hasty exit. He'd do all he could to try to track this guy down, maybe have a little one on one with him – but this was very little to go on in a city this size.

Neal sighed; this just wasn't going to cut it – if he caught sight of this guy, he would certainly do his own 'questioning'. Neal was a pacifist, shunning violence, but this was his family and he was fiercely protective of his kids – and of Sara, although the woman had proven on multiple occasions that she could take care of herself (and take care of _him_, sometimes too)

WCWCWC

Monday morphed into Tuesday and short of staying home and barricading themselves in the house with the kids, all the Caffrey family could do was to go about its business with some additional precautions. Neal and Sara discussed the situation with the school principal and Liam's babysitter urging them to be more cautious and aware of their surroundings and asking them to get in touch if anything was amiss. They didn't want to alarm the kids by giving them too many details; Hope was already uneasy around strangers and it wouldn't do to further upset her and Liam was already upset from what had happened the previous day. In both cases, they were reassured that special care would be taken to keep Hope and Liam safe until the situation blew over and Neal and Sara made their way to their jobs somewhat anxious and uneasy.

Sara sat on the train into Manhattan, cringing at the thought of having to listen to all the messages Craig had left on her voice mail. Peter had asked her to listen to each one individually and to write down _everything _he'd said in the hopes of gaining some clue as to his whereabouts. She arrived at work and closed her office door, settling in as her phone announced 32 new messages; she began the arduous task of listening to each and every one of them – 28 were from Craig and that was only since five o'clock the night before.

She began to take notes, carefully documenting each call, the time and content of the voice mail but the messages were more or less the same each time: 'I love you, we belong together, please pick up' with variations on the same theme. Sara chastised herself for having shared her work number with the man, realizing that, in his state, he probably would have found some other way to contact her, obsessed as he obviously was. If something happened to one of the kids... she pushed away that thought immediately. This man wasn't violent, just misguided and he needed help to get better.

WCWCWC

Hope and Olivia ran out into the school yard, a fifteen minute respite from math (which Hope hated) and a chance to play before resuming the finer points of three digit subtraction which was totally useless in Hope's world. Although it was mid-November, no snow had fallen yet and even though they were snuggled in warm fall coats and hats, the children were still indulging in some more typically 'summertime' play. The girls grabbed one of the skipping ropes from the large bin of equipment provided by the school and made their way to a quiet corner of the yard, away from the balls that inevitably interrupted their skipping enjoyment and two other little girls joined in to play with them. They had been skipping for about five minutes when Hope spotted a man lurking by the nearby school fence. He looked familiar and he smiled at her, waving. It took a minute but she recognized him as the man her mom had introduced her to in the grocery store the previous weekend.

'Hi Hope' he shouted as he stopped near her, leaning on the fence 'Remember me?'

Hope looked up warily; he wasn't _really _a stranger but she didn't like getting too close to men she didn't know these days, not after Matthew Keller had made a grab for her and taken her away from her family the year before.

She kept her distance, smiling a shy smile; she'd been taught all her life to be polite. The other girls continued to skip rope as Hope pulled away a few steps, maintaining a safe distance between her and the man. After all, he _was _on the other side of the fence and couldn't do her any harm.

'So, how are you today?' he asked

'Alright' she said quietly, not her usual 'Hope' exuberance by any stretch of the imagination

'Did your mom tell you the good news? She's coming to live with me? And you can come and visit us anytime you want' he said

Hope frowned as she listened. What was this man talking about?

'Hope, it's your turn!' called Olivia from somewhere behind her. Hope turned to glance at her friends momentarily and when she looked back, she saw the man slowly walking away.

WCWCWC

The day seemed to go by at a snail's pace considering everything Neal had on his mind. He kept thinking of the kids – and Sara – and hoping everyone was having a good – and safe – day. It was not even lunch time yet and he'd already put in a call to the school and to Fran only to be reassured that everything was fine. He picked up the phone again, this time to call Sara's office; he was afraid to ask how many calls Craig had logged since the last time he'd checked.

'I called the school' he admitted as he chatted with his wife '... and Fran'

'So did I' she confessed 'I guess we'd better let up a little or we'll turn into 'those' parents'

'With reason, Sara! This is definitely not business as usual' he responded, his voice serious

'So how many calls today?' he asked

'Actually, it's slowed down to a trickle. Only about a dozen' she answered 'Maybe he's finally getting the message and giving up'

'Do you really think so?' Neal asked, not convinced in the least

'Any news from Peter on that phone number?' she asked

'No, he's been in a meeting all morning. I'll try him again after lunch' Neal responded

'Okay. Well keep me posted' she said before hanging up

Joyce was standing in the doorway to his office as Neal hung up, obviously anxious to give him a message. Although his job at Finch and Johns was to authenticate pieces that had been retrieved, his criminal past was not lost on his employers who took full advantage of their star employee's previous contacts in the underworld. Neal still had plenty of connections from his previous life and snitches tended to gravitate to him, sometimes contacting him directly to share a lead; the finder's fee the company gave to snitches made it irresistible to many of them as they played both sides of the fence.

'Neal, I got a call from a guy who says he has a lead on a missing painting' she said, handing over a piece of paper

'Oh, yeah? Did he leave a name?' he asked as he took the paper from her hand

Joyce shook her head. It wasn't unusual for the snitches not to identify themselves and although Neal knew many of them by sight, he didn't ask for names; that was all part of what made these anonymous tips work.

'Did he say which painting?' Neal asked, glancing at the address

'No, just that he has some information and wants to meet at five o'clock' she said, shrugging

Neal glanced at the list of missing treasures that was always up on his computer and allowed himself to get excited for a brief moment. He _could_ be on the verge of recuperating any one of those amazing pieces.

He smiled wickedly; momentarily, his worries were forgotten as he realized he _loved_ this part of his job!

WCWCWC

Craig Williamson hung up the phone, sighing in relief. That had gone well and finally, he would be able to remove the main obstacle between Sara and himself – her pesky ex. It had been easy to find out Neal's name with reverse lookup and following him to work had been a breeze. A little internet research had given him a glimpse into the nature of Neal's work and now, he finally had the opportunity to come face to face with him and let him know in no uncertain terms that Sara wanted to be with _him_, in Manhattan and not stuck in the suburbs with a couple of kids. Maybe he'd learn to like Sara's kids over time; he would certainly let them visit if she wanted... He smiled as he thought of the wonderful life they would live; he just had to be persistent and Sara would see reason and finally give in. He grabbed the freshly sharpened paring knife he'd taken from the kitchen at the restaurant and carefully placed it in its sleeve before slipping it into his back pocket.

WCWCWC

'I'm sorry, buddy. This is some sort of pay as you go deal. No paper trace on who owns this phone' said Peter sitting at his desk in the Federal Building

'Well, thanks for trying, Peter. If we could just get _something _on this guy – anything... Look I've got to go; I've got a clandestine meeting in Bushwick; someone's got a lead on a stolen painting' said Neal, glancing at his watch

'All right. Keep me posted if anything changes' said Peter before hanging up

Neal took one last glimpse at the piece of paper with the street corner the snitch had given him and stuck it in his pocket.

Hopefully, the day wouldn't be a total wreck.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Sara decided to head out early. She'd gotten Neal's message telling her that he had an unscheduled rendez-vous and asking her if she could pick up both of the kids on the way home. Neal had sounded animated and energized, the way he got when he could smell a big score. She was just glad that this was all it took to get him excited these days. The first few years of marriage had been difficult for Neal as he continued to struggle with his primal urges but he had made a promise to Sara to stay clean mostly for his baby daughter's sake and he had managed to keep that promise. Some nights, he would get quiet and Sara would wonder if she had somehow robbed him of who he was by luring him to this side of the street; but Neal had come along willingly and when he laid eyes on his daughter, she could see the absolute wonder in his eyes as any residual doubts melted away.

Over time, Neal had confided to her that it was getting easier and although he sometimes took pleasure in working the planning stages on some of Mozzie's capers, he no longer felt the need to be an active participant. The threat of ending up in the slammer, for good this time, was enough to keep him on the straight and narrow. Luckily, he had been able to get his thrills working with Peter on some high profile cases - sometimes undercover which always got his blood pumping - and more recently by being in close proximity to some of the most amazing pieces of art imaginable.

The after-school program at Ridgeway Public School closed at 5:15 so Sara decided to head to the school first to pick up Hope. Although her daughter was usually enthusiastic at the sight of her mom or dad, Sara noticed that on this day, Hope was particularly quiet as they made their way to the car, hand in hand.

'So, how was your day honey?' she asked as she took her seat behind the wheel

Hope, who'd been silent, began to cry softly, taking Sara by surprise.

'What is it Hope? What's wrong?' asked Sara as she turned in the car to face her daughter

'That man said you were going to go live with him' she blubbered

'What man?' asked Sara, already suspecting the dreaded answer

'That man from the grocery store. He talked to me in the schoolyard today and said you were going to live with him and that I could visit you if I wanted' Hope continued, obviously confused and upset

'Oh my God!' Sara said, under her breath as she realized Craig had done it again

'Oh, honey! Of course I'm not going to move in with him' she said

'But why did he say that?' asked Hope, her breathing beginning to return to normal

Sara stepped out of the driver's seat and made her way to the back seat of the car to sit next to her daughter. She wanted to make sure to establish eye contact while she tried to explain the strange and not so wonderful world of Craig Williamson's consciousness.

'Hope, I knew this man a long time ago before I met Daddy. He used to be my boyfriend. And then he got sick' Sara began

'Did he have cancer?' Hope asked

Ever since Sara's bout with ovarian cancer when Hope was just a toddler, the child seemed to equate illness with cancer, every time. It had been an unforgettable period in her young life as she watched her mom struggle for the better part of a year and now, anytime Sara or Neal announced that someone was 'sick' Hope automatically assumed that it was with cancer.

'No, no. Let me explain. There's physical illness when part of your body is sick – like when I had cancer or when Daddy had the car accident and injured his head. But there's another type of illness called 'mental illness'. It's when your brain is sick and people who suffer from those kinds of illnesses need medication otherwise they might start to behave in strange ways' she explained patiently as Hope listened carefully

Hope was a smart girl and she listened intently trying to link what her mom was saying to the behavior of the man earlier in the day. Sara had learned over time that children always understood better when you could equate whatever you were explaining to them with something they had experienced themselves and she began to try to liken the situation to something Hope could relate to.

'You know how sometimes you can make up stuff in your head like make-believe stories or fantasies of things you wish might happen?' she asked as Hope nodded 'Like when you made up Patricia, remember?' Sara asked referring to Hope's imaginary friend

'Well, people who _don't _have a mental illness, like you and me...they know those things aren't real and they just make them up because it's fun to pretend but Craig... he doesn't know the difference and he truly believes that I want to be with him and so he's behaving as if he and I are going to live together'

Hope frowned. 'But you're not?'

'Of course not, honey. I love Daddy - and I love you and Liam and I'll always be with you' Sara said unequivocally

'Then why is he saying those things?' she asked

'Because his mind doesn't work properly and even though it isn't true, _he_ really believes it'

Hope nodded as she started to understand the explanation. Suddenly, she reached up and laced her arms around Sara's neck, pulling her close.

'I love you, Mommy' she said, slightly breathless

'I love _you _sweetheart' Sara responded, hugging her fiercely

WCWCWC

Neal stepped out into the sunshine. It was most definitely mid-November and the air was cool and crisp but there was no wind on this particular day and the sun was still warm on his face. He pulled up the collar on his overcoat and began the trek to his clandestine meeting. The rendez-vous point was all the way in Brooklyn and he walked a couple of blocks just to clear his head before he finally flagged a cab to take him across the river. The blood was coursing through his veins, a familiar rush similar to the one he used to feel when he embarked on a con; only this time, it was excitement at the possibility of recovering a lost treasure instead of the prospect of stealing one.

He'd learned over the years that the fleeting feeling he used to crave while planning and carrying out a con could be replaced with other more lasting forms of exhilaration – the thrill of holding his newborn son for the first time, watching in wonder as Hope painted alongside him, looking into Sara's adoring eyes as they made love, sharing a chat and a beer with Peter. Collectively, those moments more than made up for the ephemeral thrill he used to think he could never live without. But this type of mystery, going out into the unknown to meet a snitch who might give him a lead on some treasure was a wonderful feeling and he smiled as the endorphins kicked in.

He arrived in Bushwick, a most undesirable part of town but one, alas, that he knew all too well from his years on the bad side of the law. He wasn't familiar with the _exact_ location of the meet and he had the driver drop him off on Rush Street, in an older commercial part of the city. It was quiet at this time of day; stores were beginning to close and darkness was beginning to slowly settle on the borough. He wanted to get his bearings before he found the exact location and he still had ten minutes to go before the arranged meeting time. He walked purposefully, becoming aware of his surroundings as he passed a homeless man sitting by the front of a pawn shop. The man made a noise, putting out his hand and Neal slowed and handed him a ten dollar bill – nobody should be this hard on his luck. He turned the corner, realizing that the exact location where he'd been instructed to meet the snitch was the back alley of a bunch of storefronts – it wasn't surprising that a snitch would choose such a place for a meeting – it was discreet and most definitely out of the way. Neal looked around one last time and leaned against the building to wait.

WCWCWC

Peter came down the last few steps of the staircase on DeKalb Street with a spring in his step. It was unusual to be home in time for dinner and he appreciated the fact that he and Elizabeth would be having a 'normal' evening for a change, a nice dinner with some cuddling in front of the tube followed by even more cuddling upstairs, if his luck held out.

'Honey, how can I help?' he asked as he made his way into the kitchen and came around the island to hug his wife

'You can dress the salad' she said as she smiled, pleased as punch to have her husband home at a decent hour

'Mmm, mmm, mmm. Lasagna!' Peter exclaimed as he took in the wonderful aroma emanating from the oven

'Well, that's what happens when you make it home on time – dinner is actually waiting for you!' said El with a wink 'So, any news from Neal and Sara?'

'I talked to Neal this afternoon. The phone number Sara gave me was a dead end. There are _way_ too many Craig Williamsons to make any search worthwhile unless we find out something more about the guy and - nobody by that name has a police record' he answered, summing up his research in a brief sentence

'Sara was really feeling guilty about the whole thing' said El as she took a sip of wine

'Well, I don't see how she could have known this guy was trouble. He behaved pretty normally at first' said Peter

'It must be terrifying to see your child just out of your grasp in some stranger's arms' added Elizabeth as she made her way to the oven to check on the casserole

'Yeah, well I'm not sure how we're going to get to the bottom of this. Sara wanted to bait him and meet with him but Neal wouldn't hear of it and frankly, I really don't think that's a good idea; he sounds too unpredictable' Peter said as he carried the salad over to the table

'Why don't you put a wire on her and just back her up?' said El, sounding like a seasoned FBI spouse who'd heard her husband talk about his job for almost twenty years

'I suppose we could if it came down to it but I'm worried the guy could turn violent if he doesn't get his way. Plus, knowing Neal, he'd put up a fight – he doesn't want his wife to go anywhere near this guy. I'm going to go over all the notes Sara gave me after dinner and see if there is anything that can give us even a hint of where we could find him'

Elizabeth stopped suddenly and turned towards Peter, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

'You are such a good man, Peter Burke' she exclaimed

'If you play your cards right, Mrs. Burke, after dinner, I might just show you just how good I _can_ be' said Peter with a twinkle in his eye

WCWCWC

Craig Williamson called Sara's office number one last time as he headed up Rush Street in Brooklyn. She still wasn't taking his calls but he knew that once her precious husband was out of the way, she would willingly run into his arms and that he would welcome her and take care of her.

'Sara, honey, please pick up' he said into his phone, his voice pleading 'You know this is totally unnecessary. No one needs to get hurt if you'll just come with me. Sara, please' he begged

He waited a moment as he always did in the hopes that she would pick up but alas, nothing.

'Look, I'm sorry to have to do this but it's the only way. Please call me. I love you' he said as he disconnected the call

He pulled the woolen cap snugly over his head and nervously touched his back pocket once more, feeling the knife and making sure it hadn't somehow hopped out of his jeans while he rode the subway. He didn't like violence but he realized that he had not been given any choice in the matter and he took in a deep breath as he took the last few steps leading to the alley.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Neal glanced nervously around the alley, taking in his surroundings as he checked his watch one more time. There was always an element of risk in meeting someone you didn't know in an out of the way location but that feeling of insecurity was usually fleeting and it was the price to pay for a big payoff – a price he'd willingly paid dozens of times before. He thought about Sara and the kids, arriving home right about now, safe in their little bubble in White Plains and he realized, again, what a great life he lived. He hoped that everything had been quiet on the 'Craig' front and that the man hadn't done anything stupid by trying to connect with anyone from his family since he'd last talked to his wife. Maybe waiting him out was the way to go; just letting him realize that he was mistaken where Sara was concerned and that he just needed to ride off into the sunset.

He spotted a tall, burly man rounding the corner and he straightened himself up, slipping into his fearless Caffrey persona which was never too far in the recesses of his psyche, ready to be called on at a moment's notice.

'Caffrey?' the man said, his voice low, as he got closer

WCWCWC

Sara made it home with both kids in tow, always a more demanding task than when the pick-up was shared with Neal. Luckily, Hope was old enough to lend a hand and she carried both her and her brother's backpacks as the three of them stepped into the dark house. Sara took a deep breath; it was past five thirty, both of the kids would be hungry and cranky and she had to face the odious task of getting dinner on the table on her own – her least favorite of the domestic chores.

Luckily, Neal always planned ahead and on any given weekend, he would spend a couple of hours getting meals prepared ahead of time for freezing - which was a godsend, especially on nights like this. Sara helped Liam off with his coat and shoes and proceeded to prepare a small bowl of Goldfish crackers and cubes of cheese for each of them as she opened the freezer to see what was on offer on this Tuesday night. She settled on a tuna casserole which she immediately placed in the oven and she got Hope situated in front of the cutting board as the little girl willingly began assembling some fresh veggies for a salad. Hope was really good at making salads and she was patient, taking the time to cut everything up in nice regular shapes and enjoying the kudos that came her way as everyone dug into her creation at the dinner table.

Sara thought of Neal, hoping this meet would be a nice, easy exchange of information without any drama or complications. You just never knew when Neal might come across some drugged out snitch who could become violent and she knew all too well that the locations chosen for these meets were rarely under the lights in well travelled areas. Neal had done this kind of thing so many times before and she trusted his judgement – after all, how could she begrudge him what she herself had done so many times in her previous life as an insurance investigator.

Liam came over to her and hugged her legs tightly, looking up at his mom with his clear green eyes.

'Mommy, I'm hungry' he said

WCWCWC

'You have something for me?' asked Neal as the stranger came closer

The man was taller than Neal by a good two to three inches and he was larger, with broad shoulders and at least thirty pounds on the ex-conman. He was wearing an overcoat and a woolen cap, pulled tightly over his head. The weather was cool and with the sun going down, the air was crisp and Neal saw the man nervously tug at the headgear as he came a little closer. Neal tried to get a good look at his face but it was getting dark and at first glance, he didn't recognize this guy which always made Neal a little more cautious and he glanced around at his escape route options just in case things turned nasty. He knew most of the guys on the street – at least those who tended to cooperate with investigators – but this guy, he'd definitely never seen before. Maybe he was an acquaintance of Mozzie's; he'd have to ask and find out.

'I do' said the man, drawing ever closer and reaching in his back pocket for something – a piece of paper?

Neal began to turn his body away from the building so he wouldn't be positioned between the brick wall and the large man but the guy was quick and in the blink of an eye, he was practically inches from Neal's face as the first inkling that things weren't quite right began to dawn on Neal.

Craig brought his face right up against Neal's, looking down on him and trapping him between his large body and the building's brick wall as Neal got a good glimpse into his eyes, recognition slowly dawning on him.

'She's mine, Caffrey' the stranger said his voice low as Neal became aware that the man had drawn his right arm back in an attempt to ... punch him? But no, just as Neal began to comprehend who he was face to face with, he felt a slow, searing pain just below his ribs as he realized, in horror, that he was being stabbed.

His eyes flew wide at the sudden excruciating pain in his abdomen and the look of sheer hate in the man's eyes as he pulled back and stabbed a second time, repeating the same thing over and over again.

'Mine, mine, mine!' he kept saying as his foul breath invaded Neal's senses adding to the overall experience

As if things were happening in slow motion, Neal made a feeble attempt at fighting him off but the effort was in vain. Between the element of surprise and the sheer size of the man, to say nothing of the fact that Neal now had a huge gash in his side where he could feel blood seeping out, any attempt was fruitless as he felt himself begin to collapse, his body pressed against the building.

Neal had instinctively folded his body forward to protect himself and he was now falling into Craig as his legs began to give way, his sight suddenly blurring as he started to feel himself lose control of his faculties. Just before Craig moved away, callously letting Neal fall face first on the asphalt, Neal made a last ditch effort at grabbing for the man and he managed to pull off his woolen cap, exposing a head full of blond curls and leaving no doubt as to who his assailant was.

Craig dropped the knife, hearing the sound reverberate in the empty alley and he instantly pulled away from Neal who was dragging him to the ground with him. He recovered his footing and turned to flee and as he saw Neal crumple to the ground, he made his hasty retreat, rounding the corner and passing the pawn shop as an innocent bystander watched the scene, unobserved.

Neal lay in a pool of blood, still barely conscious as the events of the last few seconds began to replay in his mind – any clear and organized recollection finding itself in stiff competition with his fading consciousness. _Okay, _he thought_, I think I've just been stabbed and I appear to be bleeding out, perhaps I should reach out and try to get some help so I don't die on this god awful street corner._

He made a valiant yet feeble attempt at reaching for his phone in his breast pocket, impeded by the searing pain in his side but he persevered, his fingertips finally pulling at the cell as he tried to get his hands and eyes working cooperatively to call for help.

He heard a small noise and braced himself, fearful that Craig might be returning to have another go at him and just as his body finally gave in to the agonizing pain, pulling him down into total darkness, he saw a human form coming towards him.

WCWCWC

'Mommy, where's Daddy?' asked Hope, as if she were suddenly aware that the chair at the head of the table was empty

'He just had to go to a meeting. He'll be home soon' answered Sara as she glanced at the clock. Six fifteen... that was way too long for a meet, she realized as she tried to keep things light.

As soon as dinner was over, she was going to try Neal's number again, maybe even give Peter a call. As much as she tried to shoo the thought, maybe something had really gone wrong this time.

WCWCWC

John Connolly followed the whimpering sounds he heard as he came around the corner behind the pawn shop on Rush Street. He'd just seen a guy leave in an awful hurry and he knew trouble when he saw it, considering he'd had plenty of it in his long life. He'd been down on his luck for over ten years, having lost his job when the high tech sector had tanked and he still couldn't believe that over time, his life had come to this, begging on street corners for change just to get his next meal. He patted his pocket making sure the 10$ bill that guy had given him was still there and despite his apprehensions, he continued into the alley to investigate.

He spotted the human form lying on the ground, moaning and he made his way over noticing it was the same guy who'd just given him the money. The guy was barely conscious and suddenly John noticed something shiny in his hand – a cell phone which the man was attempting, without any apparent success, to use to call for help. The sound of the phone hitting the pavement made him jump momentarily as the man stopped moaning, a pool of blood growing beneath him. He nervously made his way over, gingerly picking up the phone from the ground and staring down at it.

WCWCWC

'Honey, this is amazing!' Peter said as took another bite of his dinner

'I'm glad you like it' answered Elizabeth 'you know, you could have a nice hot dinner, that hasn't been re-heated, _every_ night of the week if you wanted'

The jab at Peter's long hours didn't go unnoticed and he took her hand in his in an attempt to keep things light and not end up in the doghouse. After all, he had definite ideas about how he wanted the evening to end.

'Honey, I know. It's been bad lately. I promise I'll make more of an effort to get home for dinner' he said hoping to stay on his wife's good side

'I know, I know, it's not easy' she responded 'and I _do _know you always do your best, honey. You know, that's part of what makes you the man I love so much – your dedication and commitment to your job'

Peter let out a sigh of relief – he'd dodged the bullet on that one. He wasn't sure how but somehow, Elizabeth 'got' him and she always had. He was overcome with gratitude at having such an understanding and loving wife and he squeezed her hand before returning to his meal which he was truly enjoying.

Even before he could get his next mouthful all the way to his mouth, the sound of his phone was heard emanating from the kitchen counter where he'd dumped it, willing it to silence. Obviously, it hadn't taken heed of his wishes as it resonated insistently.

He looked over at his wife, uncertain what to do – as if there was any doubt. El stood to reach for it and rolling her eyes, she handed the ungodly thing to her husband with a long suffering sigh.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

'It's Sara' said Peter glancing at his phone

'Sara? What's up?' he asked, surmising bad news. Sara Ellis-Caffrey would not be calling in the middle of the dinner hour, not when she was probably dealing with a couple of tired, cranky kids.

'Peter, I might be overreacting but Neal still isn't answering his phone. He had a meeting with an informant at five – this is taking way too long' she said, her voice panicked

Peter glanced at his watch, realizing she was right – this was taking longer than the usual exchange of information and if Neal wasn't answering his phone, well, that wasn't a good sign.

'He told me he was headed to Bushwick' he volunteered 'let me see what I can find out'

He turned to look at El who was gathering up their plates to put into the refrigerator for re-heating later and he shrugged.

'Go!' was all she said

WCWCWC

The phone rang on the information desk at the 83rd precinct of the NYPD and the duty officer answered expecting yet another emergency.

'This is Agent Peter Burke from the FBI' said the voice in a most official sounding voice. 'Have you had any reports of altercations in your part of town?'

The officer looked down at the call sheet although he didn't need to; he'd taken a call not ten minutes before from an anonymous caller about a stabbing near Rush Street. He related the information to the agent who disappeared off the line faster than he'd appeared. Some nights were crazy and this was looking like it might be one of those nights.

WCWCWC

Neal floated in and out of consciousness. Those feet that had appeared just before he'd passed out were gone and now there didn't seem to be any movement in sight. It was now dark and so cold as he lay on the pavement feeling the blood continue to trickle from his body, hot and sticky. He had to find a way to get home to warn Sara and her name escaped his lips in a whisper.

The fleeting thought slipped away as he lost contact with the world once again.

WCWCWC

Peter saw the flashing police and ambulance lights reflecting off the buildings up the street and made his way towards them. He had called Sara to give her an update and had asked El to go over to White Plains and take over on child minding duty – just in case. Luckily, Peter and El's place in Brooklyn was just minutes from the scene and although he hadn't had confirmation that this was indeed Neal, his instincts were rarely wrong and at the moment, they were screaming that his ex-CI had been the victim of a brutal stabbing. He knew Sara would be going crazy waiting and he hoped to have news for her within minutes – good news, he prayed.

As soon as he got out of his car, he spotted the dark head of hair on the gurney, that unmistakeable mop of curls he knew too well. He ran the last few steps to the back of the ambulance where the paramedics were about to load him on and he whipped out the magic ID badge that was certain to give him clear access.

'What happened?' he asked of the EMT, his voice shaking as he took in the sight of his ex-partner and best friend, lying motionless

'Stabbing. His vitals are weak but stable, a lot of blood loss' she answered in the way emergency personnel gave you the highlights without bothering to dress it up

Peter looked down at Neal's face, ashen, his body covered with a sheet up to his waist, a huge blood stain on his shirt which had been partially ripped off his body to allow access to the wound. Although unconscious, his breathing appeared rapid and shallow, his face almost a bluish color with a sheen of sweat appearing on his forehead. The EMT handed him Neal's jacket which was similarly stained and instructed him to follow them to the nearest hospital, Wyckoff Heights, which was just nearby.

Peter looked around, spotting the officer in charge at the scene and made his way over. He knew Detective Christopher Newcombe well; after all, this was his neck of the woods and he'd had lots of dealings with police throughout the course of his job.

'Chris!' he called out as the officer turned towards him

'Peter. What brings you out here?' he asked

'The vic... he's a good friend of mine. What happened?' asked Peter

'We got an anonymous tip that there'd been a stabbing and he was lying there when we got here' he said pointing to the spot where Neal had been found. 'Not much to go on, I'm afraid. It doesn't look like a mugging; his wallet and phone were still with him when we found him'

'Was he conscious at the time?' asked Peter, looking for some silver lining

'No, but he grumbled when they first checked him out. Called out for some woman...' he said as he looked down at his notes. 'Sounded like, Sara'

'Yeah, that's his wife. Anything else?' asked Peter as he took in the large pool of blood near his feet

'No. He's lost a lot of blood. Not sure if the knife hit any vital organs – we'll let the ER doctors do their thing, I guess' he said finally, closing his notebook

'Could you keep me posted on this one, Chris – as a personal favor' Peter asked

'Sure thing' said the officer as he returned to the scene

Peter grabbed his phone to call White Plains – as much as he hated to be the bearer of bad news, Sara needed to be told and as horrible as any stabbing was, he hoped his instincts were wrong and that it had been a random attack. Somehow, he knew different and he feared that this was a case of all of them underestimating Craig Williamson.

WCWCWC

Sara arrived about fifteen minutes later – she must have been flying on the freeway – and entered the ER in a panic. Peter hadn't been able to tell her much and she was terrified that it was even worse than he'd let on when he'd called. Her mind returned to the night she'd arrived at another hospital, in Manhattan that time, after the taxi Neal had been travelling in had been involved in an accident. That night had been the beginning of months and years of suffering for Neal and still now, he struggled at times with the fallout from his brain injury. He'd been through enough and just the thought that he'd been hurt again made her feel physically ill.

Peter spotted her as she walked over to the triage desk and pulled her aside, urging her to sit as he shared the little bit of information he'd been privy to.

'He's alive, right?' she asked, panicked, needing to get that first horrible fear dealt with

'Yes, he's alive. He was stabbed. In the stomach. But I don't know much else; they're examining him now' he said

Sara looked into her friend's eyes, not daring to ask the question that was on both their minds. She finally gave in.

'You don't think this has anything to do with...' she asked, not even needing to finish the sentence

'I don't know, Sara. Whoever did this didn't take his wallet or his phone...' he answered, just as vaguely

'I can't believe he'd go this far... Oh my God, the kids!' she exclaimed as a new level of panic set in.

'I've got agents watching your house' Peter responded and Sara thanked her lucky stars that she and Neal had a forward thinking person like Agent Peter Burke watching over them.

'Why is it taking so long?' Sara said as she stood and began pacing. Sara Ellis could never sit and wait, she wasn't programmed that way.

'Sara, it hasn't been that long. They have to do a thorough examination' said Peter, hoping to keep her calm

'Was he conscious?' she asked, grasping at straws

Peter shook his head.

WCWCWC

Craig Williamson ran from the scene of the stabbing in a panic. Somewhere deep inside, he knew that what he'd done was wrong but he believed that it couldn't be helped. He knew that Sara would only leave her ex if he was out of the picture and all he could think of was that he needed to drive to her house and finally take her away with him – away from this mess. He drove to White Plains, his whole body shaking and he began to slow down as he approached the Caffrey home. Something wasn't right, he thought, as he noticed two very official looking cars sitting in front of the house. Without slowing down, he kept driving; he'd have to find another way to connect with Sara. Maybe now, she'd take his calls – surely, she realized that this was all for the best.

WCWCWC

It seemed to take forever but the moment finally came when Peter and Sara were ushered into a small room at the back of the ER to get an update on Neal's condition. Sara's nerves were totally shot and her whole body shook as she took the seat the doctor pointed at for her to sit in.

'Your husband is a lucky man' he began, an encouraging first sentence if she'd ever heard one

'The knife wound missed most of his vital organs – in fact all of them but his spleen' he continued as if he were teaching a class in pre-med 101

'His spleen?' she repeated – _there_ was an obscure organ if there ever was one. She knew what a liver did, what a pancreas did, what the kidneys did - but what about the spleen, what did _it _do?

'It's located on the left side of the abdomen just under the ribs and it acts almost as a giant lymph node' he continued as Sara's eyes began to glaze over at the new information

'It acts mostly as a blood filter and it's essential to a healthy immune system. In your husband's case, there are two issues: his spleen has been damaged and he's had a great deal of blood loss'

Peter glanced over at Sara who was staring at the doctor as he spoke.

'Luckily, the paramedics acted quickly and we were able to get him on transfusions the moment he arrived but severe blood loss can lead to complications and we're still trying to get his blood up to where it should be' he explained

'Is he conscious?' she asked

'No, he's not. His body has just suffered a tremendous trauma and there is also the matter of his spleen' he repeated

'What? Does he need surgery?' she asked, trying to fully understand

The doctor nodded.

'Yes, with your permission, I'd like to do a partial splenectomy. According to the CT scan we've just done, the knife perforated the upper left corner of his spleen and sliced it off. I would like to remove the injured part of his spleen. Although it will not grow back, he would still have the benefits associated with having about 70% of his spleen and all the immune protection that will afford him'

'So, you'd do that now? Tonight?' she asked, realizing things were moving fast

'As soon as we get him stabilized' the doctor responded

'Okay' she said, nodding and finally looking up at Peter as if she'd just noticed he was in the room

'Can I see him?' she asked

'For a few minutes. But he's not conscious at the moment' reminded the doctor

Peter gave Sara a small encouraging hug and sent her off to see Neal while he continued to hold vigil in the waiting room. If Craig Williamson had attacked Neal, as he feared, he had just upped the ante and no one was safe while this guy was on the loose. The best he could do for the moment was to make sure Hope and Liam were protected and that Sara also had someone watching her at all times. Once Neal was able to talk, he'd be able to confirm if Williamson was behind the attack and they would then have something to charge him with when he finally surfaced which Peter had no doubt he would. He hadn't done all this to walk away without his prize, 'his' Sara and Peter had to be sure they were there when he finally made his move.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Sara peered into the room where Neal was being prepped for his surgery, nervously anticipating what she would find when she walked in. He lay, motionless on the bed, reminding her of a time not so long ago when she'd sat by his side after that horrible car accident – definitely not a happy recollection. She tiptoed in, although he probably wouldn't have stirred even if she'd barged in accompanied by a mariachi band and she made her way to stand by the side of his bed. His face was scraped in places; probably from where he'd hit the pavement as he fell and whatever wasn't red and scratched appeared white and pasty - almost the same color as the starched hospital sheets.

'Neal' she whispered as she touched his pale face

'I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I promise I'll make this up to you. We'll find a way to catch this guy and put him away, okay?' she continued staring at his unresponsive features

'The doctors are going to patch you up and you'll be as good as new. You've to get better so you can get the house decorated for the holidays. Some of the guys on the street have already started and I know how much you hate being at a disadvantage' she said, smiling and realizing how ridiculous and frivolous her comments were.

But she knew Neal would be amused if he could hear her and she wondered if, maybe somewhere deep in the recesses of his unconscious mind, he was aware of her going on about the silly contest and smiling to himself.

'The kids and I are waiting for you, so hurry back, okay?' she said as she leaned in to give him a soft kiss on the lips. She recoiled when she realized he wasn't responding – Neal was such an enthusiastic and eager kisser; it seemed strange to feel his lips under hers, impassive and cold. She wiped a tear and glanced towards the door where a nurse was signalling her that it was time for Neal to be wheeled out.

She took a step back and watched as the love of her life was taken away.

WCWCWC

'What happened to Daddy?' Hope asked as she sat with her Aunt Elizabeth

They had just put Liam to bed and were sitting in front of the television, trying to pass the time while they waited for news from the hospital. Elizabeth knew her goddaughter well; she could not be fooled. Trying to downplay this was not the way to go with Hope; she was smart and strong, just like her mom, and she deserved to know the score.

'He was meeting an informant for his job and the person attacked him' said Elizabeth, taking the young girl's hand in hers

'Is he going to be alright?' Hope asked, worried

'The doctors at the hospital are doing everything they can for him' El answered then added 'I'm sure we'll be getting some news soon'

Hope just sighed. She loved her daddy so much and she wanted to see for herself that he was alright.

'Do you think I could stay up with you and wait?' she asked of her godmother as she tried hard not to give in and cry

'Tell you what' responded Elizabeth 'Why don't we get your pillow and blanket and you can lay here on the couch and keep me company?'

Hope gave her a small smile. She didn't think she could handle being in her room by herself right now and she welcomed El's presence by her side. It was one thing to be brave and not be scared of the dark when her mom and dad were sleeping right next door but whenever things went off-kilter even the slightest bit, Hope still had difficulty coping.

She nodded enthusiastically and ran up to get her things from her room.

WCWCWC

'Have you got anything?' Peter asked into his phone as he sat in the OR waiting room alongside Sara

'I promised to keep you posted' said the officer on the other end of the line 'There was DNA on the knife although we don't have any matches in the system. We can certainly do some testing if we get enough to identify a suspect'

'Anything else?' asked Peter as Sara studied his face

'Not for the moment, we're still trying to find out who put in the call to the police. It wasn't the vic that's for sure' he responded

'Whoever it was might have been an eye witness to the attack' Peter said

'One can hope' agreed his colleague

'Thanks, Chris. I appreciate it' Peter said as he hung up

Sara looked up expectantly. Although she and Peter knew with utmost certainty who was behind the attack, getting proof was going to be something else – hell, just getting Williamson to re-surface was going to be a challenge.

'Well, he left prints on the knife handle' he said as he looked at Sara, her face pale and drawn

'Peter, you've _got_ to let me draw him out. I can't see any other way' said Sara

Peter looked at her disapprovingly – it was his least favorite option. But he was beginning to agree that using Sara as bait might be the only way to get eyes on this guy. Although amateurish as far as criminals went, he'd been going about his business undetected for the better part of a week and they had no leads as to where to find him. Neal, however, would never forgive him if he agreed to this scheme; there was no way on God's green earth that he would ever agree to have his wife used in that way.

'I can't do that, Sara...' he began

'Why not? You do it all the time... Neal does it all the time. Every time you guys go undercover... You could put a wire on me, back me up... I could see if he'd meet me at my office – there's lots of places for you to watch from there'

'Sara, stop!' Peter said, his voice a little louder 'It would only take a second for him to pull a knife on _you_. Look at Neal, he's got lots of experience but he didn't have any time to react to the attack'

'He probably didn't recognize him at first. I'd be ready...' she began

But she knew as Peter did that if Craig wanted to hurt her, he most definitely could. The alternative, however, was unthinkable – having Craig running around town, lurking, getting more and more angry and frustrated and more and more volatile. What if he decided to take one of the kids or worse yet, hurt one of them. They'd been through all that with Keller and there was no way she was putting Hope in that kind of danger, not when she was still so fragile.

'Neal wouldn't need to know' she said in a last ditch effort

Peter rolled his eyes. Of course Neal would find out; he always did. Peter didn't have the same skills at deflection that his best friend had and he knew that Neal would never forgive him for going against his wishes. They had to somehow find another way. Peter grabbed for Sara's hand feeling her anguish seeping through. The first step was to make sure Neal was alright, that he would recover – then they could turn their minds to how they would deal with Craig Williamson.

WCWCWC

Craig sat in his small apartment, phone in hand and continued calling Sara's work number incessantly. He'd been calling for the past hour, hanging up only to dial again and again and again, repeating the same thing over and over: begging her to talk to him, to come away with him, to put this ugly mess behind them. Tears ran down his face as desperation set it; maybe he'd gotten it wrong somehow, maybe Sara didn't love him anymore. He let out an audible gasp at the thought; no, surely that couldn't be true. She was his, they were meant to be together and they _would be_ even if he had to take her away forcibly. Over time, she would realize for herself that they were meant to be together, forever – after all, they were perfect for each other.

WCWCWC

Peter and Sara had been sitting for almost two hours on the most uncomfortable (and decidedly ugliest) orange plastic chairs provided for them in the OR waiting room. Sara continued to pace sporadically, walking back and forth to the window overlooking the streets below. The lights of Brooklyn sparkled in the distance as life went on while the man she loved fought for _his life_ a few feet away. They had gotten news about thirty minutes before that although the surgery was progressing well, the doctors were having trouble controlling Neal's blood loss. There had been an inordinate amount of blood in Neal's abdominal cavity and this had caused unforeseen complications. Sara wrung her hands nervously as she continued to pace.

Peter sat, quiet, stoic, as he continued to work out scenarios for a resolution to this situation. He agreed with Sara; the situation couldn't be allowed to continue. Craig Williamson was a loose cannon of the worse kind – a man who wasn't grounded in reality – and he could surface at any time to do just about anything without concern for his own well-being let alone the safety of those around him. That made him a ticking time bomb.

He thought again about Sara's proposal. He knew she was smart and ballsy and he believed she could probably pull off such a scam. If they equipped her with a one way communication device, as they'd done with Neal dozens of times, they might even be able to get a confession and if she could lure him to her office, they could be standing by right next door, ready to break in at a moment's notice. It could work... but then again, there was the matter of Neal agreeing to such a scheme.

Sure, Sara was her own person, capable of making her own decisions but she and Neal had an understanding and even 'risk-taking Neal' would never have carried out an undercover operation without running it by her, although he had been known to camouflage some of the risks involved. On a couple of occasions, Peter had witnessed Neal pull out of an op at his wife's behest, once when Sara was pregnant with Liam and she'd begged him to pull out and another time when he'd realized himself that the risk was just too high that he could get hurt. To carry out such a scheme behind his best friend's back would be perceived by Neal as treason and Peter didn't see how Neal would ever forgive him.

Sara was not thinking straight if she thought Neal would ever forgive _her_ – she was so focussed on getting the situation resolved that she wasn't thinking of the possible repercussions on her marriage. The trust factor, at times fragile in their relationship, would be forever destroyed if Peter let her do this. Still... it was awfully tempting.

The door to the OR opened and out walked Neal's surgeon, a young man who looked like he was fresh out of high school. He made his way to Sara as she rose again, feeling her knees tremble beneath her.

'Mrs. Caffrey' he said as he took off his mask and hat 'Your husband is fine. We had some difficulty getting the bleeding under control and we still have to monitor him following all the blood loss but the operation was a success and he should come out of this relatively unscathed'

Sara let out a long sigh – 'relatively' unscathed sounded somewhat ominous but at the moment it sounded pretty good and Peter gave her a little squeeze as relief flooded him.

WCWCWC

Hope stirred as she heard Elizabeth's phone buzzing. She was lying on the couch in the family room with her feet propped up on El's lap and while her aunt dozed, head back against the couch. El grabbed for her phone, holding her breath as she prepared to get the news on Neal.

'Your dad's going to be fine, sweetheart. The doctors operated on him and he's alright' said Elizabeth as she held the little girl

At this, Hope let go of all her fears and she began to sob loudly as Elizabeth drew her near.

WCWCWC

Peter and Sara sat, on either side of Neal as they waited for him to come to following his ordeal. The sun was just beginning to come up over the horizon and he'd been out of surgery for a little over two hours when his eyes fluttered open and he looked from Sara to Peter as he came to, remembering where he was and why.

His eyes flickered, he drew in a shaky breath and looked again at Peter, then at Sara as he spoke, his voice weak, barely a whisper:

'Do it' he murmured 'Get the son of a bitch'

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Peter and Sara huddled together in Neal's room as he dozed nearby. They had gotten Neal's blessing to lure Craig Williamson out from under his rock and they had been plotting ever since, going over the details of the operation. Sara wasn't ready to leave Neal's side quite yet but each time he closed his eyes and drifted off, they would return to their discussion, working out the finer points of the scenario which would enable them to catch this guy once and for all.

'I want to hear details before ... before you do it' Neal had said, his voice weak, before drifting off

Sara had nodded as he spoke, promising that the risks would be kept to a minimum and reassuring him that she would be safe under the watchful eye of Peter and his team.

Now, they were working out the time line of the operation. The plan was to have Sara contact Craig, using the number she had for him. If he didn't respond, which he might not, she would wait for his call at the office. Her assistant had informed her that her phone had been ringing non-stop since the early hours of the morning when she'd arrived at around seven. As soon as Neal was well enough, Sara would head over to her office to speak with him on the phone and make arrangements to meet after work hours. Peter didn't want her using any other phone; so far, he didn't have her cell phone number and he hadn't called their home and Peter didn't want the man to have that information.

Neal faded in and out of sleep but he could still hear his wife and best friend as they plotted. He'd been dead set against Sara getting involved directly in the operation but Craig's actions from the night before meant the stakes were even higher now - he might try to hurt Sara or one of the kids. Neal lived by the maxim: 'A good defence is the best offense' and he had begun to realize that by baiting the man, they would have some control over Craig's movements – plus he trusted Peter with his life _and_ with Sara's life. He knew his partner would make sure the risks were kept to a minimum and that he would be nearby every step of the way.

Still, he lay there, feeling totally impotent. How come he hadn't seen this coming? His instincts were usually right on and yet, blinded by the possibility of recovering a piece of art, he'd let his guard down and for Neal Caffrey, that was unacceptable.

'... and make sure you stand between him and the door' he mumbled as Peter and Sara glanced over.

They thought he'd been sound asleep but obviously, he was hearing every word. They looked at each other with unease, realizing that it wasn't a good idea to be having this conversation in Neal's presence. He was far too fragile and needed to recover; the last thing he needed was to be worrying about every little detail of the sting.

Upon hearing his voice, Sara walked over to her husband, running her hand through his hair as his eyes opened, barely a slit of blue apparent.

'I'm sorry, sweetie. We shouldn't be talking about this here. You need to rest' she said softly

Neal gave a weak head shake, indicating his disagreement.

'Uh,uh' he whispered '...want to hear everything'

Sara smiled at Neal's insistence; he could be very determined when he wanted to and it was obvious he wasn't going to let this go.

'Tell you what' said Sara as she leaned in to speak softly in his ear 'If I promise to tell you _every_ little thing, will you please sleep for awhile?'

He let his eyes close and he nodded as he mumbled '...every ... little... thing' he repeated as Sara kissed his forehead

WCWCWC

Craig Williamson had fallen asleep on the floor of his apartment, his phone still in his hands. He'd been calling Sara for hours and couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. The phone rang in his hands and he woke at the sound, taking in his surroundings. He glanced at the screen and his mouth dropped as he took in the words written there 'Sterling Bosch'

'Sara!' he said, breathless as he picked up

'Craig!' she replied, her voice a little shaky

'I knew you'd call!' he said, exuberant

'Are you alright?' he added

Sara tried not to linger on the question. How could she possibly be alright? He'd been terrorizing her family for almost a week, skulking around her children and attacking and almost killing the man she loved more than life itself.

'I'm fine' she lied as Peter looked on

'I need to see you' she added as she tried to get into the zone. If there was ever a time to remain strong _and_ deceitful, this was it.

'Of course, come to me' he said

She stuttered as she spoke: 'I have to clear some stuff up at the office so... so we can go away. Can you meet me here later? When everyone's gone home?'

Craig thought about the proposal. It wasn't quite what he'd had in mind but if it meant that he could see Sara and be with her it would have to do.

'Alright' he agreed, hesitant

'Come to my office, okay? Around six. I'll be waiting' she added, hoping to inject some false enthusiasm in her voice

'I can't wait. I love you Sara' he said as he prepared to hang up

Sara let out a long slow breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Peter smiled at her, indicating his approval. He'd been listening to both sides of the conversation now that her phone was bugged and he felt that the conversation had gone according to plan.

'You alright?' he asked as he touched her shoulder

She nodded. This was going to be harder than she thought. The man was obviously very ill and she felt some guilt at the thought of manipulating him but she knew that he had to be stopped and this was the only way to make sure they would all be safe.

'I want to go back to the hospital and spend some time with Neal' she said as she gathered her things.

'Okay' said Peter 'Jones will go with you. I'm going to get everything lined up for later and check in at the office. Tell Neal I'll be by later this afternoon'

WCWCWC

It was after lunch by the time Sara made her way back to Wyckoff Heights accompanied by Agent Clinton Jones. Ever since the incident the night before, she'd been shadowed by one of Peter's men and the children were safe at home with Elizabeth under the watchful eye of some of Peter's best agents. Although this wasn't technically a white collar operation, a valued member of the team – albeit a part-time one – had been injured and that _made it_ the White Collar Unit's business.

Sara had taken the time to go home to change and spend time with the children before returning to the hospital and Hope had been reassured to see her mom seemingly upbeat about Neal's condition. Sara worried that this situation might set Hope back in her progress and she resolved to talk to Neal about the best way to help their daughter deal with this mess with a minimum of damage.

Neal was sitting up in his bed when she returned, an FBI agent still standing guard just outside his hospital room. He smiled at the sight of her and she ran to him, suddenly feeling an overwhelming urge to hold him and be held by him. He winced as she squeezed a little too tight and she pulled back at the sound he made.

'Sorry!' she said, cringing

'Come here. I don't care' said Neal, pulling her back in, his voice gruff

'Are _you_ alright?' he continued as he held her, continuing to breathe through the pain

'Me? How do _you _feel?' she asked as she finally pulled away to look at him

His eyes were wide open, unlike earlier and his color was returning – a most encouraging sign.

'Alive' he answered, shrugging. 'Are the kids okay?' he continued, his voice still slightly breathless

'They're fine. Elizabeth and Mozzie are with them at our place; the last time I checked, Moz was having a tiddlywinks contest with Liam and Hope was curled up in the family room reading a book. And before you ask, yes, Peter has two cars watching the house'

Neal listened and nodded in approval.

'Make sure Hope knows I'm alright' he said, his gaze becoming serious. Like Sara, he was concerned that this would be a set-back for his precious daughter. The little girl was fine as long as they were by her side but for now, circumstances were forcing her to cope without her mom and dad and he didn't want her traumatized, worrying about him.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he added 'Better yet, give me your phone'

Sara did as he asked, punching in their home number before handing her cell phone to her husband.

'Hi sweet pea!' Neal said cheerfully when he finally got his daughter on the line

Sara listened to Neal's side of the conversation, a small smile dancing on her lips. No matter the circumstances, the kids always came first and she loved to watch Neal interact with them, his love and pride so apparent in everything he said and did.

'No. I'm fine. See? They're even letting me use the phone! Oh, and the nurses have asked that I stop running up and down the hallways...'

From Neal's relaxed look, Sara guessed that Hope must be laughing on the other end of the line.

'Yes, soon. Maybe even tomorrow. Are _you_ okay?'

'That's good. Liam needs his big sister right now.'

'I love you Hope' he said finally, his voice slightly unsteady just before hanging up

They sat in silence for a moment while Neal completely regained his composure. Sara spotted the seemingly untouched tray of food lying by his bedside.

'Did you eat anything?' she asked, knowing full well the answer

Neal rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore the question. He wanted to know what was going on with the op; sitting on the sidelines of an undercover operation was not something the ex-conman did willingly and there was a lot at stake on this one.

'Did you talk to him?' he asked taking her hand and searching her eyes

'You're not getting _anything_ out of me until you have a few bites of this...'

She stopped as she perused the slim pickings on the tray: a few sundry and unappetizing items including an overly-processed 'cheese' slice between two slices of white bread, canned tomato soup and an individual packet of saltines.

She settled on the rice pudding, the least offensive looking item on the tray and she proceeded to open it and start to feed Neal with a plastic spoon. He grimaced as she dangled the spoon precariously towards his mouth, realizing that she was even more pig-headed than he was and he reluctantly opened his mouth to take a spoonful of the gray, lumpy mess.

He hadn't even swallowed all the way when he repeated: 'Did you talk to him?'

'Yes, it's done' she answered

'And...'

'I don't think he suspects anything. He was really excited to hear my voice' she answered

'I don't blame him... _I _still get excited whenever I hear your voice' Neal said, an attempt at making her smile

It worked. She smiled at her husband, thankful to have him back to his old self, minus 30% of his spleen. She force-fed him a second spoonful of mush.

'Has the doctor been in?' she asked, changing the subject

'Yeah, it's all good. My blood is back up to normal levels and I just need to let this wound heal' he said pointing to the bandage on his bare chest. 'They've given me some boosters for my immune system. From what the doctor said, that might become the new normal. Oh, and I have this lovely drain' he added pointing to the contraption that was hanging from his bandaged abdomen 'to get rid of the residual liquid in my abdominal cavity'

She looked on in horror; it looked painful but Neal was smiling as he talked...

'So, what's the plan? And I want to know _everything_' said Neal as Sara settled in the chair beside him

Sara attempted to give him the broad strokes – just enough to keep him satisfied without going into all the contingency plans she and Peter had discussed in case Craig did this... or did that...

He seemed content at the level of detail Sara was giving him and she could see he was beginning to droop as she droned on.

'I think someone needs a nap' she declared as she got closer, nestling in gingerly beside him and putting her head on his shoulder.

Neal smiled, his eyes already closed. Just having Sara beside him made all the pain and discomfort bearable. He began to slip away, then suddenly he snapped back, urgently needing to say one more thing before he would let sleep claim him.

'You _promise_ you'll be careful' he said, sounding like he had cotton in his mouth

'I promise' she said as she squeezed him gently

As if her word was golden, Neal let himself slip into sleep, his lips curled in a small satisfied smile. Sara turned to look at him.

This was a promise she intended to keep.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Peter was sitting in his office in the Federal Building doing a cursory check of all the cases he was presently overseeing. There was no doubt, however, which case was uppermost in his mind on this Wednesday afternoon. He'd had a meeting with Sara's bosses and had informed them of the operation, asking for their cooperation in having the Sterling Bosch offices cleared out by five o'clock. He'd already had all the necessary surveillance equipment set up in the small conference room which was adjacent to Sara's office and a meeting was planned for three o'clock with all involved to go over the operation from A to Z. The NYPD was backing them up on the case and were ready with resources should things go south. He'd covered all his bases; all that was left after all the careful preparation was the execution – and he hoped that Sara was up to the challenge.

He heard a commotion down in the bull pen and glanced down. He could see Diana talking to an older man, obviously a street person from the way he was dressed. He was speaking loudly and he was waving a hat in his hand as he spoke. He watched as Diana escorted him to the conference room and Peter was already halfway down the hallway when she returned, heading his way.

'Peter, this guy says he has information on Neal's stabbing' she said

He followed his top agent to the conference room, his breathing a little more rapid as he realized this might be the eye-witness they had been hoping would materialize.

'I'm Agent Peter Burke' he said, as he put out his hand

He could tell the man was down on his luck, his clothing askew, his hair and beard untrimmed, yet there was something refined about the man and as he spoke, Peter could see that he was a well educated individual.

'My name is John Connolly' he said, standing to reciprocate

'I went in to the local police station and reported a mugging I witnessed and the detective said it was one of your men and that you would want to hear this first hand' he said as he sat

'Diana, would you get Mr. Connolly a cup of coffee? And whatever we might have in the way of food' he said as he settled in his chair directly across from the man

Connolly smiled in appreciation. He hadn't eaten since the night before and he could feel his stomach grumbling, his legs a little unsteady.

'Last night, I was hanging out on Rush Street and I heard a commotion in the alley behind the pawn shop' he began as he placed the woolen cap on the table

Peter nodded as he spoke.

'I'd seen a man come by earlier and he'd headed back there and then about ten minutes later, I saw a second man come up the street. He looked nervous and anxious and I don't even think he noticed me sitting there' he explained

Diana returned, setting down a piping hot cup of coffee and a couple of donuts in front of the appreciative man who immediately took a bite and a long sip of the warm nectar.

'The second guy was wearing this' he said as he pointed to the hat lying on the table '...and he kept pulling it down over his eyes, all nervous like. After a couple of minutes, I heard a scuffle and the second guy, he just flew out of there, on a tear but this time, he didn't have the hat on and I got to see his face when he ran by me'

'Do you think you would recognize him if you saw him again?' asked Peter, leaning in

'I'm not sure... it was getting dark. But, he had thick curly blond hair' Connolly explained

Suddenly, the man's voice grew quiet as he continued. 'I shouldn't have taken the hat but it looked warm and I was cold. Sorry... I wanted to return it, I figured it might be evidence'

Peter smiled at the man's honesty. He'd have to make sure this guy got a nice warm hat when this was all over.

'So, did you go back into the alley?' asked Peter

'Yeah, sure that's where I saw the hat on the ground. And there was that nice guy, the one who'd just given me ten bucks, laying there on the ground' he said

Peter smiled at this – of course, Neal would have given the guy some money. Despite his years of thieving and taking what wasn't his, it had never been about the money and Neal had a most generous heart even throughout the years when he'd had little even for himself.

'He was breathing hard and I could see blood pooling around him. He was holding a cell phone in his hands and when I walked up, it fell from his fingers so I picked it up and used it to call 911' said Connolly, taking another wonderful sip of his coffee

'What happened next?' asked Peter as Diana stood by; she was writing down everything the man was saying.

'Well, I stayed with him for a few minutes. I could hear him breathing and he kept mumbling 'Sara, Sara' so I told him Sara was coming soon, you know, just to keep him focussed. And then I heard the sirens and I high tailed it out of there. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, I should have stayed with him; nobody should be alone when they're in a bad way ... but you know, sometimes cops they don't always understand about ... people like me... who live on the streets. I didn't want to be blamed for any of it. I'm sorry I let the guy down...'

'You didn't John. You called for help and you saved his life. He's going to be fine. His name is Neal Caffrey and he works part-time for the Bureau. He was operated on last night and he's going to pull through because of you, because of what you did. Thank you for that' said Peter, getting slightly emotional

John Connolly nodded and Peter could see the relief in his eyes – relief at having done the right thing. He remembered what the police had said, that Neal hadn't been mugged. This guy sitting in front of him was down on his luck; he could have cleaned Neal out, taken all his cash and his phone but instead he'd chosen to stay and try to give him some semblance of comfort in his hour of need. We should all have a friend like John Connolly, he thought.

Peter shook the man's hand, thanking him again for his help with the case and Diana loaded up some food from the kitchenette and sent him on his way, back to the lonely, dirty streets of Bushwick.

WCWCWC

By mid-afternoon, Sara knew she had to make her way back to Sterling Bosch. It was time for one last run through in preparation for her face to face meeting with Craig. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the man; he needed help not punishment but he couldn't be allowed to run free in his present state, delusional as he was about his relationship with Sara. He had shown that, despite her earlier erroneous assessment, he _was_ capable of violence and in order for charges to stick – and for him to get the help he needed – they would need to stack up as much evidence as possible and in the best case scenario, that meant a confession straight from the man's lips.

She looked down at Neal, who'd been sleeping peacefully for the past hour. He'd been through so much and she just wanted to take care of things, for once, after all those times that _he'd_ taken care of everything for her and their kids. She leaned in to place a kiss on his forehead but she pulled back at the last second and refrained; she didn't want to disturb his sleep. There was nothing more that could be said between them; she needed to get on with the show and give the performance of her life.

She settled for blowing her husband a kiss and whispered 'I love you' before she snuck out of his hospital room.

WCWCWC

There were six of them sitting in the small conference room at Sterling Bosh: Peter Burke, Diana Berrigan, Clinton Jones, Detective Christopher Newcombe, Winston Bosh and Sara Ellis. In a nearby room, a dozen or so federal agents waited in the wings for their final instructions as they remained out of sight, munching on donuts and sipping coffee as all good law enforcement agents are trained to do.

Craig was scheduled to arrive at 6:00 but they had to be in place before that, just in case. At five o'clock, a member of Peter's team was scheduled to take over from the attendant at the information desk on the first floor of the building in which the SB offices were located. He would notify the team the moment Craig Williamson stepped onto the elevator on his way up to Sara's office giving them a few precious seconds to make sure everyone was in place.

Sara's job was to be in her office, waiting for Craig's arrival. Diana would be positioned outside her office, masquerading as her assistant and several other agents were slated to play the role of random SB employees, free to roam the hallways nearby. Peter would be positioned just a few feet away from Sara, listening to the conversation and waiting for one of two things: Sara's take down phrase which meant she felt endangered in some way or Craig's confession which would signal the crew to move in and neutralize him.

It was now past five o'clock and as time ticked on, Sara's nerves seemed to be getting the better of her. She sat at her desk, mindlessly looking over the files which happened to be sitting there – totally unaware of what she was reading.

'Peter?' she said softly as the communication device he'd given her crackled to life in Peter's head phones

'Yes?' he whispered back into her ear

They had decided to go with two way communication. That way Peter could instruct her on what to do if things became dicey – besides, the minuscule bug in her ear was invisible unless you searched for it and with her hair covering her ears, it was virtually undetectable.

'Just checking' she said, nervously

'There's still time to change your mind, Sara. We already have a lot stacked up against this guy' said Peter giving her one last chance to bail

'No!' she said so loudly that Peter heard her through the door separating them

'It's better all around if I can get him to admit to what he did' she said, her voice softer now 'Promise me you won't be too rough with him'

Despite what Craig had done to Neal and to her children, she knew that the man was mentally ill and not in control of his actions. She didn't want him to be physically hurt in any way; after all, he would have a long road ahead to get better and he would be facing criminal charges by the end of the day.

'Promise' came the answer in her ear

She returned to the mindless task of shuffling papers on her desk and glanced at the picture of Neal and the kids that she kept on her desk. She picked it up, gazing lovingly at the three faces smiling back at her and placed it in the top drawer of her desk. She didn't want anything setting Craig off; keeping him calm and focussed was her best bet if she was going to draw a confession from him.

She checked her watch one more time: 5:48.

Suddenly, Peter's voice could be heard in her ear 'He's on his way up. It's show time, Sara'

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Sara sat patiently, wringing her hands and working very hard at keeping her breathing in check. She was preparing to deliver an Oscar winning performance. She had to walk a very fine line – lulling Craig into a false sense of security so he would confide what he'd done to Neal without sending off any warning signals that could set him off into... what type of behavior she wasn't sure. Throughout her life as an insurance investigator, she'd been in lots of dangerous and precarious situations with volatile snitches and she'd mastered the ability to come across as confident and cocky even when she felt anything but. She hoped she could draw on those experiences to remain in total control and not let Craig see that she was terrified for herself _and_ for him. If he became violent at some point during their conversation, Peter and his team would not hesitate to intervene and she felt she owed him the chance to be taken down peacefully, without incident.

'You okay?' she heard in her ear

No offer to back out this time, just a last check that Sara was still breathing.

'I'm good' she responded

She heard voices in the outer office and the door opened to her 'assistant' - aka Diana Berrigan, agent extraordinaire – standing there with a very excited looking Craig Williamson by her side.

WCWCWC

Craig had made his way across the lobby and into the elevator of the high rise building with a spring in his step. Finally! He was about to be reunited with Sara, the love of his life. He had a bag packed at home ready to go and he was about to tell her about the wonderful trip he'd just booked for them to the south of Spain. His mom had left him a hefty sum of money when she'd passed away and he couldn't think of a better way to spend it before he and Sara settled into their new lives together in New York. He knew that if he just took care of a few obstacles, she'd see the light and realize what he'd known instantly when he'd seen the week before: they were soul mates and their destinies were intimately and irreversibly intertwined.

He felt for the knife in his back pocket again. He'd grabbed it from his apartment at the very last minute just in case someone tried to come between him and the love of his life. He knew now that he could use it if he had to, if someone dared interfere with his and Sara's destiny.

WCWCWC

Neal sat up in his hospital bed, staring down at the meatloaf and instant mashed potatoes drowning in brown slush. His stomach did a flip flop and he pushed the tray away, checking the time once more. It was almost six o'clock and he knew that was the bewitching hour. He thought of Sara, sending her positive vibes, willing her to be safe and to put an end to the anxiety and fear their family had suffered over the last few days. He imagined Peter, listening nearby, ready to pounce like a tiger on its prey at the first sign of trouble. He knew with certainty that Peter would never let Sara get past the point of no return; if he sensed that she was in any physical danger, he would not hesitate to intervene. As a matter of fact, Peter had promised Neal just that. The ex-con's life had been in Peter's hands so many times over the years and he knew with absolute certainty that his partner would never willingly let anything happen to Sara. But this was a tricky situation and the perpetrator was a very sick man, a sick man who could turn at any moment. He tried to shoo the thought away and was suddenly distracted by a small sound.

He looked up, surprised to find Mozzie lurking in the doorway of his hospital room carrying a paper bag in his hand.

'Moz! What are you doing here?' he asked, pleasantly surprised at the visitor – especially considering his fondness for hospitals

'I heard it was meatloaf night so I stopped by your favorite Thai place and got you some tom yum soup' he said as if his showing up unexpectedly with dinner was the most natural of occurrences

Neal's face lit up at the thought of a delicious meal and his stomach rumbled as if on cue.

'... and I thought you could use the company' Mozzie added, confessing his true motive for the impromptu visit

'I could Moz, I sure could' answered Neal

WCWCWC

Peter listened to Sara's shallow breathing through his head phones, his nerves steady and strong. At this point in any undercover operation, Peter was always at his best. Over the years, he'd developed strategies to remain calm and focussed as he prepared for a takedown. Whenever someone from his team went undercover, they became exposed and vulnerable and it was his job to make sure he zeroed in on the absolute best moment to step in – not too soon to blow the operation and not too late to be picking up the pieces of an op gone bad.

It was a delicate balance and Peter had found a way to achieve it over time. But it was infinitely more challenging when the person in the fray was someone he had close personal ties with – that had been the case with him and Neal especially during the period where Neal was his CI. Whenever he went undercover, Peter had his partner's life in his hands and he'd hated the fact that Neal's situation didn't afford him the option of turning down assignments. That made Peter's responsibility for Neal's safety and wellbeing all the more important. It didn't help that throughout his years as CI, Neal had taken numerous unnecessary chances while undercover, making him a bit of a loose cannon. Neal always pushed the envelope and so many times, during de-briefing, Peter would have a go at him for putting himself at excessive risk in order to get the job done.

Now it was Neal's wife's welfare that lay with Peter and his team. Sara was smart and cunning and she'd proven that she could take care of herself on numerous recoveries as an insurance investigator. Plus, she and Peter had discussed at length how this was going to go down. He knew she had the wherewithal to pull this off but he'd also given her an out – a takedown phrase which she could utter at any time in order to bring the op to an end. They would deal with the fallout if she hadn't been able to get a confession out of Williamson; just the fact that she'd been able to draw him out was more than enough.

He continued to listen, suddenly recognizing Diana's voice.

'Ms Ellis, someone here for you' she said

WCWCWC

'Craig!' Sara exclaimed as she stood to greet her visitor, a forced smile on her face

Diana retreated, leaving the door slightly ajar and returned to the outer office, awaiting takedown instructions from Peter.

Craig took three long strides towards Sara, scooping her up in his arms and pulling her in against him in an innocent and sincere embrace. Sara hugged him back, forcing herself to stay focussed on the task. The arms that were holding her close were the same ones that had stabbed savagely at Neal, she thought momentarily, and she pushed the notion away immediately.

He pulled back to look at her face, running his hand along her cheek.

'Finally, we're together' he whispered longingly, his eyes glued to hers

She forced herself to hold his gaze, adding a soft smile for good measure. Her job was to get him to confess to the attack on Neal as quickly as possible so that the charade could come to an end so without hesitation, she charged ahead, beginning with Plan A.

'Are you alright, Craig... after last night' she asked, opening the door to the subject

'I'm fine now that I'm with you and we can finally plan our future' he said, not rising to the bait

'Sara, I've got a surprise for you' he added, his eyes alight

She took his hand, leading him to the small table in her office, positioning herself between him and the door with his back to the connecting door behind which Peter and the rest of the Harvard crew were lying in wait. When the time came for them to make their entrance, that would give them a split second longer before he spotted them and it also gave her an exit strategy.

'How fast can you be ready to leave? I've got us booked on a trip to Spain' he said, sitting and taking both her hands in his

'Spain?' she repeated, incredulous

'Yes. I figured you'd want to put some distance between us and this place for a few days' he said

'That sounds wonderful, Craig' answered Sara, mentally going over ways to steer the conversation back to the attack on Neal

'I need to work things out with the kids' she added, injecting some reality in Craig's weird alternate universe

'Oh, yeah' he said, as if just realizing that Sara still had connections to her 'other' life

He shook his head as if to knock the thought away – Sara's children and her previous life didn't fit in with his 'vision' of the world and Sara could see him trying to concentrate as his eyes momentarily lost focus. Maybe he was remembering his encounter with Neal the night before, she thought, and she took another stab at it.

'Yes, and we have to do some cleaning up from last night' she said vaguely seeing if he'd volunteer any information

His eyes continued to veer from her gaze and she could see him connecting to what had happened the previous night. She could almost see the battle going on in his muddled mind as he tried to make sense of his recollection and its link to the present moment.

Sara saw an opening and she charged ahead: 'I don't want you to get into any trouble. What happened, Craig?' she asked still clinging to his hands and trying to keep him grounded

'It was the only way...' he began, his voice trailing

Sara was afraid she was going to lose him and she made a valiant effort to keep him focussed.

'What was the only way?' she asked

'I don't think that Caffrey guy was going to let you go and I know you, Sara... you're loyal...'

'So what did you do?' she asked patiently, guilt rearing its ugly head at the unevenly matched conversation – her calculated questions in the face of his mental confusion

'I arranged a meeting with him' he said, a faraway look in his eyes 'and I made sure he wouldn't bother you anymore'

Sara waited patiently for him to continue not wanting to upset the balance.

'I told him...' he said, his voice quiet, barely a whisper '...I told him that you were mine and I... _made_ him stop bothering you'

'How did you do that Craig?' she asked

They were so close now; just a few more words would seal his fate and Peter would come storming through the connecting door, Diana closing in on the other side. She needed to put a little bit of physical space between herself and Craig, just in case he became upset and she slowly moved her chair back a few inches, trying not to break the spell or give him any advance warning of what was to come.

His eyes snapped back on hers as he came back to reality. She could see confusion there and she suddenly felt compassion for the man, obviously lost in his made up world. She leaned in forward, afraid that if she didn't maintain the delicate connection, he might snap.

'_How_ did you do it?' she repeated

'I killed him with a knife' he said, smiling and obviously expecting her to be thankful

'Now!' yelled Peter

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

'So... the truth' said Mozzie as he put his feet up on the foot of Neal's bed 'How are you feeling?'

'Like my insides have been thrown into a food processor' Neal answered, trying to make light of things and taking another sip of the wonderful soup

'Any idea when you'll be released?' Mozzie asked

'Probably the day after tomorrow if I don't develop an infection' said Neal, more focussed on his dinner than he thought possible under the circumstances

'June says hi' added Mozzie 'She's going to drop by tomorrow'

Neal nodded, his mind wandering. He finally looked back up at Mozzie.

'Look, I appreciate the effort but I'm kind of on pins and needles waiting to hear back from Peter and Sara' he finally admitted

Mozzie looked up at his friend – he would expect nothing less from him. After a moment, Neal spoke again.

'So, Sara tells me you've been teaching Liam how to play tiddlywinks' he said, realizing it did no good to dwell on things he couldn't control

'He's a natural Neal! Beat me three games in a row' answered the proud godfather

'That's my boy' answered a beaming Neal

WCWCWC

The sound of Peter's voice reverberated in everyone's ears as every single agent on site sprung into action. Diana was the first to enter Sara's office, kicking the door in just in time to see Sara leaning in towards Craig. It took a brief second for her to realize that Craig was pulling her in towards him and that she was having difficulty getting away from him. Craig rose from the table and in one swift movement, he grabbed Sara and turned her around so they were both facing out, his arm firmly holding her waist while his other hand reached into his back pocket.

Simultaneously, the connecting door flew open and Peter appeared, flanked by three other agents including Jones who was standing right behind his boss. They were horrified to see Craig, standing against the wall, holding Sara in front of him and a sharp shiny object in his hand. The man obviously had no idea why they were all there but he was spooked and he appeared frightened as everyone shouted at him to let Sara go.

He screamed as they all got closer.

'NO! Back off! She's mine' he cried, his voice shaky yet loud

Peter raised his hand silently asking everyone to back down while he tried to regain control of the situation.

'We're not going to take Sara away, we just need to talk to you' he said, in his best mediator voice

'No, you'll take her away from me!' Craig countered as he brought the knife up, waving it towards Peter

Sara looked at Peter, eyes wide, obviously terrified and Peter suddenly saw her take a breath and regain control of her emotions.

'Craig, it's alright' she said, her voice surprisingly calm 'No one's going to make me do anything I don't want to do'

'Tell them to leave!' he screamed, beginning to lose control

'Okay, okay, okay, okay' said Sara

'How about this, Craig? Everybody but _this _man can leave and the three of us can talk this through' she said, pointing to Peter

'But you need to let me go, first' she continued

'Not until they leave' he said, brandishing the knife and waving it dangerously in front of her face

'Alright' said Peter, making a show of putting his gun in its holster and speaking calmly 'Everybody back off'

All the agents who were standing in the room took a step back as Peter looked at Diana, silently signalling her to retreat to the outer office and be ready to move back in quickly.

'Now, let Sara go' said Peter holding his hand out for her to take 'then we can talk'

The door to the conference room closed, leaving just Peter standing there and Craig beginning to calm down as he finally relaxed his hold on Sara. She didn't want to make any sudden movements and she stood next to him for a moment, not moving and turning to look into his eyes.

'Let's sit and talk about this' repeated Peter as he put his hand out for Sara, pulling her out of Craig's reach.

It took just a split second but that was all Diana needed, she re-appeared with Jones behind her, both of them grabbing for Craig as the knife tumbled onto the small table, bouncing and finally landing on the floor.

'NO!' screamed Craig as he was immediately restrained, handcuffs expertly put on him in two seconds flat

'Craig, Craig, it's okay' said Sara, pulling away from Peter's insistent hold and turning towards Craig.

He looked at her, obviously feeling the sting of her betrayal and tears filled his eyes.

'Why Sara? I thought we wanted the same thing' he said, crying

'Craig, what I want is for you to get better. And you will. We're going to take you somewhere where they'll take good care of you. I'll go with you, okay?' she said as she touched his arm hoping to reassure him

Peter gave her a disapproving look but then he remembered who he was dealing with.

'Alright. Let's take him to Bellevue' he said, authoritatively 'Sara and I will follow in my car'

'Peter, I want to go with Craig' she said as she looked at him

'Sara, that's not a good idea...' he began

'Peter, I'm going with Craig' she rephrased not leaving any doubt as to her intentions

'Jones?' Peter said

'We're good, Peter' said Jones as he led Williamson out, Sara holding on to his arm as they went.

WCWCWC

Mozzie and Neal were playing a friendly game of chess with Neal decisively in the lead despite his reduced capacities - Mozzie had never been very good at the game – when Neal's phone rang making both men jump.

'Sara!' Neal said into the phone, his voice urgent

'No, it's me' said Peter 'It's all done. Sara's fine'

Neal let out a long slow breath at the news. But he knew that his best friend and his wife didn't want him worrying needlessly and he needed details – now.

'Define fine' he said as Mozzie looked on

'We got the confession and we're on our way to Bellevue with Williamson. Sara insisted on coming along' responded Peter.

He was following the car carrying Sara, Craig, Diana and Jones and he manoeuvred onto the freeway as he spoke keeping an eye on the car ahead.

Neal wasn't surprised. He knew Sara was conflicted at the thought of Craig being hurt in any way and the fact that she would want to stay with him did not surprise him. Regardless of what the man had done to him, Neal knew that mental illness was at the root of all this guy's problems.

'Sara says not to worry and she'll be in to see you before she heads home' said Peter

'Thank you' said Neal, relief in his voice 'Thank you... for keeping her safe'

'Get a good night's sleep and I'll give you all the details tomorrow' said Peter, signing off

'G'night' answered Neal, finally feeling himself relax

'Moz, really?' Neal said as he took in the asinine move his buddy had just made on the chess board

Mozzie shrugged. You couldn't be a master at everything, he thought.

WCWCWC

Sara waited patiently as Craig was admitted and settled into a room under police guard. Technically, he _was _a felon but he would be treated with some compassion now that he'd been evaluated. She wanted to see him one last time and wish him well. For all that had happened in the previous week, she had never doubted that Craig was a sick man and that his actions were dictated by his mental confusion. Now that he'd been taken in hand, he would get the help he needed to get better.

She wanted to discuss the situation with Neal as she wondered if it was in Craig's best interest for them to press charges against him. The man was alone in the world and her heart went out to him. He was a good person, struggling with a serious mental illness and all she wanted was for him to recover and try to make a meaningful life for himself.

'Mrs Caffrey?' said an attendant who'd just appeared out of nowhere 'You can see him now'

Sara made her way into the room, nodding to the police officer who stood by his door keeping guard. Craig lay on a bed, calm and serene, obviously sedated and she made her way over noting his eyes were open.

'Craig?' she said, tentatively, unsure of how her presence would be received

'Sara' he responded, his voice thick with drugs and sleep

'I just wanted to see you and tell you that everything is going to be all right. The people here are going to take good care of you' she said, taking his hand which was cold and clammy

He closed his eyes then struggled to open them again.

'...didn't want ... to hurt you' he managed to eek out with effort

'I know that. But now you need to concentrate on getting better' she replied with compassion

Craig was fighting a losing battle against the drugs that had been administered and his eyes closed, his breathing slowing down as Sara looked on.

Peter was waiting for her when she stepped out, ready to drive her over to the hospital. It was well past ten o'clock and everyone was exhausted but he knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep until she saw Neal and more importantly that Neal wouldn't be satisfied until he lay eyes on his wife and saw for himself that she was still in one piece.

WCWCWC

It was well past visiting hours but considering the situation, Sara was waived off as she walked past the nursing station on her way to reunite with her husband. She looked into the room before opening the door, noticing Neal sitting up, staring into space, just waiting... waiting for her... and her heart swelled at the sight of him.

She opened the door and stood there, letting him see for himself that she was fine and she finally gave him a broad smile and walked over to sit on the edge of his bed.

'You're _always_ a welcome sight but...' Neal said as he took her hand, suddenly choked up

She shook her head indicating he was being silly.

'...tonight, I couldn't wait to see you' he finished, pulling her in to lie next to him

She willingly let herself be pulled in, exhausted from all the emotions of the day and as she settled in his arms, the tears unexpectedly began to flow as relief flooded her.

'Sara' Neal whispered 'my beautiful, strong, brave Sara'

He kissed her forehead, running his hand through her hair and she finally settled, secure and safe once more.

'Neal, I felt so sorry for him. I know what he did to you was a horrible thing but he's really not a bad person...' she said, her voice unsteady

Neal just held on tight, gently running his hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her obvious pain at what she'd had to do.

'He'll get the help he needs now and the kids will be safe' answered Neal in an effort to remind her why the sting had been necessary.

She nodded in agreement, finally looking up into Neal's blue eyes, seeing all the love he had for her, for their children and she was finally able to let go of any guilt that might be lingering. Whatever she'd done had been for the greater good, she knew that. And now, what she wanted more than anything was to resume their lives as before – the daily routine would be most welcome after such an unnerving week.

'Now, I just want to get you home' she said, placing a kiss on his warm lips

'I'll second that' he whispered, deepening the kiss

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Neal was released from the hospital on the Friday morning, a week to the day after their ordeal had begun, unbeknownst to them, as they had shared Sara's birthday dinner. Neal was thrilled to be home, resuming his role as dad and husband, a role he cherished more than ever, considering the events of the past week.

Peter had spent part of the day on Thursday, debriefing with him, giving him the lo-down on the takedown and grudgingly agreeing to leave nothing out. If he didn't give him the _whole_ scoop, Neal had plenty of other sources he could turn to in order to satisfy his curiosity and Peter preferred to be able to give his spin on the events of the night before.

'I really don't think he would have hurt Sara with that knife. It was definitely directed at me' he said, knowing this would be the most difficult part of the narrative for Neal to accept.

Neal looked at him, eyes wide as he listened to the terrifying details of the last few minutes before Craig was neutralized.

'You know, that wife of yours is pretty amazing' Peter continued

'I do know...' answered Neal '... a little _too _amazing sometimes'

'Well, she's a very compassionate person and she was adamant that we didn't hurt Craig in any way' confided Peter

'That sounds about right' Neal responded, letting out a long slow breath

'You know, she wants you to drop the charges' confided Peter

'I know... but I don't think his situation will be given the serious consideration it deserves if he's not charged. He won't serve time, that's for sure but I don't want him out on the streets in three weeks' time deciding not to take his meds' Neal answered

'That's what I told her' agreed Peter

After a moment of silence, Peter continued 'Look, El wants to have you guys over for dinner – you know a celebration of life dinner...'

'That sounds like a really nice idea' agreed Neal

'Oh, and I had a visitor at the office the other day. You and I need to talk' he added, mysteriously

WCWCWC

The dinner in question was held on the Saturday night. Neal had been home for just over a day and was making wonderful progress. He would need some follow-up and his immune system needed to be monitored but the draining tube had been removed before he left the hospital and the only signs of his most unfortunate encounter with Craig Williamson were the bandages on his abdomen and his slightly unsteady gait as he walked.

The Caffreys arrived at the Burke residence and Hope and Liam immediately ran out to the backyard to check on Satchmo. Ever since she was a toddler, Hope and the old dog had had a mutually loving relationship and although the old Lab was on his last legs, he still piped up at the sound of her voice.

Neal and Sara settled in on the couch as Elizabeth handed them each a glass of the excellent wine Neal had brought for the occasion. He sat down gingerly by Sara's side, she to his right so as not to accidentally bump into his still sensitive wound and the foursome began to chat about mundane things – a welcome relief from the case.

'So, when I dropped Sara off the other night, I noticed your neighbors have already started with the Christmas decorations' said Peter, unknowingly opening a can of worms

'Tell me about it!' said Neal, sounding worried

'Christmas?' asked El 'But it's only mid-November'

'Ah! Come on, Elizabeth you know better than that' said Sara, rolling her eyes

'Oh, yes... the contest' El said, as she recalled the monstrosity she'd spied on the Caffreys' deck just the week before

'Well, I think it's safe to say, you will _not_ be participating this year' Sara said sternly as she turned her attention to her husband, gently touching his hand

Neal looked at her pleadingly. He was hoping he could get to it in a week or so.

'I have time...' he began as Sara immediately interrupted

'NO. You do _not_ have time, Neal. The doctor said nothing strenuous for at least six weeks. I would say that climbing up on the roof to put up Christmas lights qualifies as strenuous, wouldn't you, El?' she asked, turning to her friend for support

'Oh no, you don't! I am _not_ getting in the middle of this. You're on your own, Sara' she said as she made her way to the kitchen to check on dinner with Sara balking and following behind her.

'So' said Peter once the men were alone. 'Do you think you're up for that little visit we talked about?' he asked

'Yeah, sure. I've got the stuff in the car' Neal answered

WCWCWC

Peter and Neal excused themselves right after dinner – they had a not so secret mission to carry out and they jumped into Peter's car and made their way to Bushwick. Peter drove, letting Neal relax by his side but he could feel the tension increase as they got closer to Rush Street. Neal was obviously reliving the events of the previous week and Peter could sense that his partner was on high alert.

'You okay?' he asked as he put out his hand to touch Neal's arm

'Yeah. It's just... you know, it's still fresh' said Neal

They parked right on Rush Street, three stores down from the familiar pawn shop where John Connolly usually took up residence after the stores were closed. He didn't disappoint and he recognized the men immediately as they approached him, arms full of packages.

'Mr. Caffrey' said the man 'It's great to see you up and about'

Neal put out his hand to shake Connolly's who willingly reciprocated, a warm smile on his lips.

'It's Neal, please and I would say that's thanks to you, John. It's great to meet you... officially' Neal added as he shook the man's hand enthusiastically

'Agent Burke, it's nice to see you' John said, turning to Peter

'Peter, please' he said as he shook the man's hand

'Look, I hope you won't find this presumptuous of me...' Neal began, obviously nervous at how his actions would be perceived

'... but you know, the cold weather's coming and ... I thought you could use some warm winter clothes' he said, handing the man a few bags

He and Peter had taken pleasure in going shopping for some warm clothing for the man earlier in the day. Neal was more than happy to be able to help someone who'd been so generous towards him.

Connolly looked up, slightly embarrassed yet obviously appreciative as he began poking around the various bags of clothing.

'I don't know how to thank you...' he began, his voice suddenly unsteady

'You've got it backwards' said Neal 'I'm the one who doesn't know how to thank _you_' he responded

The men looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, in mutual admiration and Neal added:

'John, I was wondering if you might be interested in coming over for dinner. I would really love for you to meet my wife...'

'Sara?' John asked

'Yes. Sara' answered Neal giving him a quizzical look '...and our kids'

'That'd be great!' said John

'We're having Peter and his wife over for Thanksgiving and we'd really love it if you would join us' Neal added

'Thank you, thank you' said John, shaking Neal's hand enthusiastically

WCWCWC

The following week was strikingly different from the previous one with very little in the way of excitement. The highlights were Hope winning the class spelling contest and Liam trying green beans for the very first time. Neal was off work for the week and he was rapidly getting bored. Peter visited on a couple of occasions and Sara was beginning to think she would have to put her husband on a leash to keep him from doing too much. Neal had used the time to do some painting – he'd begun a portrait of John Connolly from memory – not the John Connolly that was down on his luck but the John Connolly he was before things had turned sour. Peter had given him the lo-down on the man and Neal had done some research on the internet discovering that Connolly had had a brilliant career in high tech up until ten years ago. He thought about how life could change for anyone in the blink of an eye, whether through circumstances such as a job loss, the loss of a loved one or an accident.

Otherwise, Neal was flirting with trouble as far as his wife was concerned. One night, she came home from work to find the kitchen counter covered in a dozen apple and pumpkin pies and on the Thursday night, she drove up and surprised Neal as he was placing some Christmas decorations on the front lawn – not anything particularly big or cumbersome but still...

'NEAL CAFFREY!' she called out, surprising him as she stepped out of the car with the kids in tow 'Get yourself into the house this minute!'

Neal's eyes widened at the sound of Sara's voice. They were constantly teasing each other but he knew _this_ tone of voice all too well and Sara reserved it for very special occasions such as this; it was most definitely not her 'teasing' voice, he realized as he found himself instantly dropping the reindeer he was holding in his hands as if he were a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

The second weekend after his release from hospital, Neal reverted to subterfuge and he talked Elizabeth into taking Sara shopping so that he and the kids could start putting out some more decorations on the front lawn. He was feeling great; a little run-down but otherwise functional and he couldn't bear sitting on the sidelines a moment longer. The Santa he'd purchased, which was going to be the centrepiece of the elaborate scene he'd carefully designed, kept staring at him every time he stood at the kitchen sink and he couldn't take it anymore.

Sara had just left and he was about to rally the troops (the troops being Hope and Liam in this instance) when he heard the door bell ring. Standing there, tools and ladders in hand, were Jeff Mason and two other neighbors, Ted Campbell and Jim Bronson.

'Neal, hi' said Jeff

'Hey guys, what's up?' asked Neal as he looked from one face to the other

'We thought you could use a bit of help getting everything done for the contest' Jeff answered, a little self-conscious

'Did Sara put you up to this?' asked Neal, immediately suspicious

'She might have mentioned to Donna that you were recuperating...' answered Jeff '...but I'll be damned if I'm going to listen to you whine about not having been able to carry out your perfect plan and how you _would_ have won if only...' Jeff answered, letting his voice trail

Neal always prepared an elaborate plan of how he wanted to lay things out and this year had been no exception. It was killing him to know he'd done all the preliminary work only to be blocked by his wife in the execution. He invited the men in and after a brief survey of Neal's blueprint, everyone went to work as Neal played the role of foreman, barking orders and making coffee for the worker bees. By the time Sara got home, the work was done and she parked the car, looking up at their house with equal measures of wonder and nausea as she took in the 'over the top' yet somehow tasteful decor.

'I'm home' she said as she walked in carrying bags

Neal was standing in the kitchen working on dinner and he looked up at his wife with a look of satisfaction.

'So, couldn't keep your nose out of it, could you?' he asked as she walked over to kiss him hello

She shrugged nonchalantly. She didn't care if Neal was pissed off as long as he was safe and healthy.

'Where are the kids?' she asked

'Liam's out with Moz and Hope's in her room' he answered 'Oh, and I invited Mozzie to stay for dinner' he added, as if there was any doubt; Mozzie was a regular visitor and all he had to do was stand there with a smug smile until he was invited to stay for a meal.

Sara made her way upstairs to change and she picked up the small box on her night table, making her way to her daughter's room. Hope seemed to have settled nicely over the past week and she wasn't showing any signs of anxiety for which her parents were very grateful.

'Hi honey' Sara said as she poked her head into her room

'Mommy, you're back!' she responded, putting her book down

'Thanks for keeping an eye on Daddy. Was he a good boy?' Sara asked

'It was a good thing Jeff came over because I don't think I could have stopped him' Hope said, glad she didn't have to follow through and call her mom to rat Neal out, as instructed.

'Honey, I have something for you' said Sara, holding out the small box

Hope perked up at the sight of the gift and Sara made her way to sit on the edge of the bed next to her daughter.

'You're going to be eight years old soon and I have a _very_ grown-up gift for you' she said, handing the box to the little girl

Hope opened the small box and her eyes went from the contents to Sara's face as she studied her.

'I finally found my missing earring – Daddy gave them to me on the day we got married. And now, I have a new pair' she said, touching her ears and smiling

'I thought you could have these for _very_ special occasions' she continued as Hope's eyes widened at the sight of the beautiful pearls.

She had commented on more than one occasion how much she loved them and that when she was grown up she wanted a pair just like them.

'But _never _to school, okay?' Sara said as Hope nodded enthusiastically 'And you have to keep them safe in their box'

'I will, Mommy. Thank you' answered Hope as she ran her hands over the treasure

'You know, honey. Daddy and I love you so much and we're so proud of how you've handled yourself since last year...' Sara let it go at that; they both knew enough not to have to give any more details.

Hope put her arms around her mom, pulling her close. Sara felt her small arms encircle her and despite the child's vulnerability, she could feel the strength and resilience emanating from her. In that moment, she knew with certainty that Hope would pull through and become even stronger for having lived through her ordeal.

WCWCWC

Thanksgiving finally arrived and everyone was in fine form. Neal was stronger than ever and he had slaved for a whole week, preparing a feast; he was excited to have his extended family with him for a special dinner. He had orchestrated an amazing meal, traditional yet with that Caffrey flair that only Neal could pull off. The guest list included Peter and Elizabeth, June and Mozzie and of course, special guest John Connolly.

Neal was really happy to welcome the man into his home and he looked forward to getting to know him better. The group finally arrived and Neal was happy to see John looking scrubbed up and wearing some of the clothes he had bought for him. He wondered if Peter hadn't had him over to his place to clean up before dinner – and he didn't ask – but knowing Peter and Elizabeth, that was a distinct possibility.

As was the tradition in the Caffrey household, there was a round of giving thanks as the dessert came out and Neal became slightly uncomfortable at the realization that they had so much and John was struggling with just surviving. He was pleasantly surprised when it came to John's turn and the man spoke.

'Well, this is the best Thanksgiving I've had in ten years' said the man 'My wife always prepared a big Thanksgiving meal before she passed away and I want to thank all of you for bringing back those wonderful memories for me. This year, I'm thankful for new friends'

Neal looked down, embarrassed at all he had in his grasp – every day of the year, and especially on Thanksgiving, he would think about how different his life might have been without Peter, Elizabeth and Sara who'd lured him to the right side of the tracks all those years ago. He knew that without their love and support, his life might have been very different and he looked up, meeting Sara's eyes and giving her a warm smile.

John insisted on clearing up the table with Sara as the rest of the group made their way to the living room. They had planned on having a tiddlywinks tournament, at Liam's insistence, and he and Mozzie headed out to get the board game from the boy's room.

'John, I want to thank you again for all you've done for Neal' said Sara as the two carried dishes into the kitchen for the clean up

The man just shrugged, obviously embarrassed at the kind words.

'You know, I realize that we're _all _just a few paychecks away from living on the street... and I realize that where we live does not define who we are' she added

She hesitated and then continued. 'I hope you don't think this is presumptuous...' she said tentatively 'but Neal told me about your background and I looked you up on the internet'

The man smiled as he looked kindly at Sara.

'That was in the past' he said with a sigh

'It doesn't have to be' countered Sara 'Look, I asked around at my workplace, Sterling Bosch...'

He nodded in recognition of the name.

'Well, we need someone to head up our high tech team – we're re-structuring our system and ... I talked to our HR people about you'

John's eyes lit up as she spoke. He'd long since given up on ever getting another job – especially in the field he loved and at his advanced age of 57.

'They would love to meet with you... if you're interested' she continued, hoping she wasn't stepping over the line.

The smile that erupted on his face was more than enough of an answer and Sara let out a long slow breath; she'd hoped she hadn't gone overboard by putting his name forward for the job. He was more than qualified and she knew just from what she was seeing of him that he would be a welcome addition to the Sterling Bosch family.

'That would be amazing' he said, his voice slightly unsteady

Sara walked over to the cupboard, pulling out a business card. 'They're expecting you at nine o'clock on Monday morning' she said as he eagerly took the card from her hand.

WCWCWC

After everyone had left, Neal took John on a tour of the house, including his studio in the basement and the man immediately spotted the painting Neal was working on – realizing, with wonder that it was his likeness on the canvas.

'Wow!' he said, taking it in

'Oh, sorry. I guess I should have asked permission' said Neal, sheepishly 'After I met you that night a few weeks ago, I just couldn't get your face out of my mind – especially your smile' said Neal as he looked affectionately at the man's likeness on his easel

'When you're ready, I would love for you to have it' added Neal, studying the other man's face for a reaction

'That would be amazing! You know, Neal, since I met you – under those horrendous circumstances – good things have been happening to me. I think you're my lucky charm' he said as Neal put an affectionate arm around the man's shoulder

'Will you indulge me one more time?' asked Neal as he made his way to the nearby closet pulling out a suit

'I got you a suit for your interview on Monday. I hope that's okay' he said, mindful of the man's pride

'It's more than okay' answered John, putting his hand out to shake Neal's hand warmly

WCWCWC

Two weeks before Christmas, the Masons hosted the street party; D-day, where everyone enjoyed some holiday cheer and the winner of the house decorating contest was finally revealed. Neal was all but back to normal – his latest visit to the doctor's had revealed that the wound was healing nicely and that he could resume regular activities, for which he was eternally grateful.

Seventeen houses were participating in the contest and although the women on the street seemed to be enjoying the holiday atmosphere, sharing gossip and great food and drink, it was obvious most of the men were walking on eggshells as they awaited the verdict. The tradition was to have all the women vote and to canvas the nearby streets asking neighbors to cast their vote. The street was a regular parking lot for the whole month of December as the word spread that Meadowbrook Street was the go-to destination for amazingly well decorated houses.

Neal stood with Jeff and some of the other men as Donna Mason, the hostess, took centre stage to announce the winner.

'Everybody, could I have your attention please?' she asked as a hush enveloped the room, the men going instantly quiet

'The committee has reviewed the votes: there were 108 votes cast this year and it was a very tight race but...' she continued as she unfolded the small piece of paper in her hand 'with 43 votes, this year's winner is... Neal Caffrey!'

Everyone erupted in applause. It was not lost on all the neighbors that Neal had just gone through a very trying time – and if that wasn't enough, most would have to agree that his was definitely the best and most tastefully decorated house on the street.

Neal stepped up to claim his prize – a small trophy purchased from the dollar store many years before – and he beamed as he came to stand next to Donna.

'Wow! Wasn't expecting it this year!' he said, in a self-deprecating way 'you know, on any other given year, I would be more than happy to stand here and gloat but...'

He looked up at the group of men standing nearby.

'This was definitely a group effort. Guys, come on up' he said as he signalled the men who had spent a whole Saturday making his vision come true.

The men stepped up, beaming with pride and the requisite pictures were taken of the four large men holding up a minuscule trophy in their hands as everyone clapped. In that moment, everyone realized that the good-hearted competition and the bragging rights took second place to good old-fashioned friendship and camaraderie.

WCWCWC

Neal and Sara lay in bed, Neal's beloved trophy glowing in the moonlight on the bedside table. Neal looked over at it one last time before turning his attention to his wife who looked on giving him a mental eye roll.

'So, pretty proud of yourself, huh Caffrey?' she said as she snuggled up to him

'Well... yeah!' he said, finally able to gloat to his heart's content

'What? Do you want to bring it into bed with us' she asked, sarcastically 'We could fit it in right here between us if you like'

Neal gave his wife a scornful look, dismissing her lack of respect for the coveted prize. He chose to ignore her, settling in next to her.

'So' he said, pulling Sara in close to his warm body 'How was John's first week?'

'He's going to be amazing' answered Sara 'He's already put forward a plan for restructuring and the brass is really impressed'

'That's great. What about that apartment Peter set him up with?' asked Neal

'Well, Sterling Bosch gave him an advance and he was able to put down a deposit; he moves in this weekend'

'That's great!' said Neal, turning his attention to Sara's eyes, glowing in the moonlit room

'So?' he added 'When was the last time you made out with a bona-fide champ?'

He gave her his best attempt at seduction, his voice low and his lips aiming for that very special spot behind her ear.

'Neal Caffrey, you exasperate me!' she couldn't help saying before she willingly gave in to his advances.

It was back to business as usual and Sara couldn't have been happier.

La fin


End file.
